Made Of Stone
by LostInParadise21
Summary: Loki's army has been defeated and his fate lies within the hands of the Avengers. Before his sentence is carried out, he is examined by Cassie Stark, none other than Tony Stark's sister. Madness ensues.
1. Erase My Scars

**This is the first fanfiction I have written in over a year so please be forgiving when it comes to critiquing! I have been so inspired by the many wonderful fictions that I have read on this site that I have been inclined to join the writers on a story that has been in the back of my mind for days, eager to be written. I hope that it's an enjoyable story and I plan to update often! **

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I own nothing other than my Original Character, Cassie. Everything else is property of Marvel.  
**

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Chapter 1: Erase My Scars

Loki took an apprehensive glance around his familiar surroundings. Not too long ago he was kept captive in the same type of cage made of glass and iron. He smirked to himself as the memory of his brother's helpless face entered his mind before he carelessly pushed the button, leaving Thor to fall to his doom… or so Loki hoped he would. S.H.I.E.L.D. did not waste any time creating the same cage in the same flying headquarters. Loki admitted to himself that he was a bit surprised that they would detain him here considering he so easily escaped the last time with the help of his cohorts.

Loki released an exasperated sigh of defeat. His plans had been so quickly ruined. Midgard domination was so close that he could taste it. Something that seemed so easily attainable was no longer in his grasp. Or was it? Oh no, this was a major setback, of course, but it by no means meant that he would lie down like a dog and take his punishment. He would not allow himself to be dragged back to Asgard, humiliated in front of the people he once lived among. Little did S.H.I.E.L.D. know that the worst thing they could have done was left Loki alone to his thoughts, for he had already begun to plan his next attempt to rule at any cost.

* * *

"Stark! That is property of S.H.I.E.L.D. and you do not have clearance to touch that!" shouted Fury, clearly losing his patience with the billionaire, playboy philanthropist also known as Iron Man.

"Relax, I'm giving your outdated equipment a much needed upgrade. Are you aware that your missile reactor has cross-wired with your sub particle beam?" Tony asked airily. He looked expectantly at Fury for a reply.

"I'll have someone look into that, but for now I need you to meet for the debriefing of our previous mission," Nick Fury argued, notably confused but stern.

"Okay, fine," Stark replied sardonically. "But if this ship disintegrates when you apply the sub particle beam to the interlock core, I will not hesitate to trip you to be the first to escape."

Fury fought back an eye role. "Duly noted. Now please, sit down, Stark."

Stark saluted Fury mockingly before taking a seat among the other remaining Avengers. Exhaustion and exhilaration was thick in the air from their triumph of defeating an entire galactic army from taking over the world.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. is working on damage control around Manhattan. We will take care of all the publicity surrounding this as well. The Council disagrees with my decision to leave the fate of Loki to you, but clearly I don't give a damn," Fury stated. "We have enough to worry about without the god of mischief still around headquarters. Do any of you have any ideas on how you will handle this situation?"

Thor was the first to speak. "It is of no question, Loki will come home to Asgard to await judgment. It is clear that Earth is not capable of detaining a god. He will go with me when I return."

No one bothered to argue. It was an unspoken relief that Loki would no longer remain on Earth where the possibility of escape was easier than it would be on Asgard.

"Does anyone disagree with that?" Fury looked around at everyone's tired faces knowing that no one would oppose. "Then it's settled, Loki will return with you."

"When will that be exactly?" asked Steve, still in his torn Captain America suit.

"As soon as possible. With the Tesseract it will be a quick descent into Asgard."

Fury rubbed his good eye frustratingly with his hand. "The Council is not going to like that you are taking the Tesseract, so let's just keep our mouths shut about it until you're gone, got it?" Thor nodded in response. "The Cube is being held in Level 4 under Selvig's surveillance. I will see what I can do to clear it for removal. Until then, the rest of you get cleaned up, you're a mess. Refer to Level 2 for medical treatment." Before Fury exited, a thought occurred to him. "Thor, you may want to take a team and get your brother some medical treatment as well. I'm not saying that watching him bleed to death would be tragic," Thor gave him a hardened look filled with warning, "but if you want him to return to your realm alive, he will need medical attention."

With that, everyone took their leave, Fury to Level 4, Thor to the detainment level, and the rest of the Avengers to Level 2.

* * *

"Clearly this is not going to work," Cassie said, frustrated. "Banner, you cannot lose your temper with me. I know you don't like it, but if you want me to close that gash, you're going to need to stay calm and stop arguing with me. I swear to you, if you even start to turn green I will feel no guilt when I plunge this needle in your neck to knock you out!" Of course she was lying. She _would_ feel guilty and she knew that if Banner started to transform they would all be in serious danger to the point where a simple needle of anesthesia would do nothing.

"I'm not arguing with you. I'm just trying to tell you that it will heal on it's own. Stitches are not necessary and they won't last." Banner had to be the most patient man Cassie had met, but she did not like the fact that she was leaving a patient to leave her station still bleeding. Though she knew he was a quick healer.

"Fine Banner, than get out of my chair and let me do my job for people who really need it." Her tone was playful, yet serious. Bruce was familiar with her way of bossing people around when she felt overwhelmed. He chuckled as he lifted from the chair and his spot was quickly replaced by Stark.

"How are you holding up?" Stark asked, concerned, knowing Cassie was working diligently so that she could quickly get to everyone she needed to.

She laughed at his misplaced concern. "My dear brother, your humanity is showing. Quick, cover it up before anyone sees!"

"I'm serious," he spoke with a smile. "Cassie I know you've been working around the clock and I don't like-"

"So have you, Tony. I'm not the one who risked my life out in the streets of Manhattan to protect the world from impending doom. Though, if we're being honest, I think you're getting old. You were really slacking out there. You've been eating too much Shawarmas," she laughed. She and her brother were too much alike. It pleased the others to see Stark talked down to as he would to others.

"Just shut up and stitch me up, you irritating-OW!" he cried as she stuck him with a numbing needle.

She smiled menacingly. "Oops, sorry, Tony!"

He mumbled insults under his breath until she had finished. Once Cassie and her medical team had completed their work on Stark, Natasha, and Clint, she sat down and relished in her hard work. It had been non-stop patients for the past couple of days. "Is there anyone else that needs to be seen before I pass out?" she asked loudly.

"Just one if you do not mind." Thor spoke from the doorway. "It seems that Loki needs medical assistance."

He entered the room with a team of S.H.I.E.L.D. soldiers surrounding the wounded god. She had seen him on the computer screens throughout headquarters but had yet to stand in his presence. He was clearly exhausted and refused to meet her gaze, instead searching around the room with his piercing green eyes. His hair hung in a mess loosely around his face and his clothes were torn and bloodstained.

Mesmerized by her distaste for the Norse god, she hadn't realized that she had not given Thor an answer. "Miss Stark?" Thor asked to gain her attention. Instead the attention he had received was from his brother.

"Miss Stark?" asked Loki with an acidic tone. His eyes then met hers with a challenging star, freezing her in place. He smiled wickedly, an idea quickly forming in his head before speaking, "What a privilege it is to meet you, Miss Stark."

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**So how was the first chapter? Suspenseful enough? I hope so! Reviews would be greatly appreciated for feedback! I really want to make this fiction worth reading. **

**Also, music is quite a large influence in my writing process, so for every chapter I will post the song that inspired it. Every song has to do with the story, so I guarantee that if you listen to it, the lyrics will remind you of the characters and the storyline.  
**

**This chapter was inspired by "Erase My Scars" by Evans Blue.  
To listen to this track, type in your address bar youtube followed by /watch?v=KJhunrAWkmw  
**

**Thank you!  
**

**-LostInParadise  
**


	2. Evil Has A Name

**I want to thank you all so much for your reviews and support! It really is a booster when it comes to updating stories. As I have seen this done by others, I would like to take a brief moment to respond to reviews before getting to the next chapter.**

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**Aly: That he does! You shall have to wait and see! =D**

**Tibbles: Here's an update for you!**

**All of the other reviews I have responded to via private message, but really, I cannot thank you enough for the support I have received. For those of you who have put this story on your alert list, I greatly appreciate it, but some feedback would be great as well! Just leave a review or leave me a message about your thoughts!**

**The title for this chapter was a song from the band Hail the Villain, also an inspiration for this chapter.**

Chapter 2: Evil Has A Name

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Without a word from anyone, Loki was signaled to sit on the small exam table. He first held little to no interest of the medical team that was supposed to relieve him of his wounds until he was introduced to another Stark. The name brought anger and disgust to his mind. However, it was not the Stark he had expected. His gaze fell upon the "Miss Stark" his adopted brother had referred to. To be blunt, she had a boring appearance. Her facial structure resembled that of her brother's, though she appeared to be much younger. She had dark hair that was lifted into a standard style to be kept up out of her face in an unkempt manner. Her eyes were a dull green and she eyed him with loathing, a look that he was quite used to. However, there was also a small look of curiosity in her eyes as her gaze held his. It seemed as though she was searching inside of him for something. Not that she would find anything. Loki was talented at keeping his emotions and facial expressions limited. He was the god of mischief after all. What fun would it be if he so easily displayed his true feelings?

Cassie felt uneasy as the god sat on her exam table. She did not fear him, but she could not deny that he intrigued her. She had so many questions that she wanted to ask, but at the same time could hardly stand to look at him, let alone listen to him speak. He was the reason her home was destroyed. He was the cause of the hundreds of deaths in the past several days. She did not know him, but already she detested him. However, her opinion of him did not stop her from doing her job, as much as she wanted to refuse his need for medical attention.

Thor stood awkwardly in the doorway watching his brother intently. "I am needed on Level 4. If you are alright, I will take my leave until he is able to return to the detainment facility." Cassie simply nodded her head in agreement.

Loki watched with interest as she scribbled notes onto a clipboard and then proceeded to snap white rubber gloves onto her hands. He could not deny that though he found the human race to be disgusting and unworthy of life, their ways of living were fascinating to observe. It was like watching ants in a colony. Everyone played their part as they were trained, but their lives were unnecessary and could easily be killed with a little force.

His cruel thoughts abruptly ceased when Cassie approached him and placed both of her hands on the side of his face, inspecting his wounds. He instinctively flinched away from her touch, for he was not used to such close interaction with humans. For a brief moment their eyes met and Cassie looked away quickly, which caused Loki to smirk.

She walked around the room gathering items that she needed to clean and close the wounds. It was difficult with all of the security in the way and Cassie was beginning to feel claustrophobic. "Okay!" she finally shouted. "I need you guys to get out! Please, I cannot work this way! For the love of god, just wait outside!"

_Yes_, Loki laughed silently to himself. _For the love of me, wait outside, you unworthy mortals._

One of the soldiers protested, "Ma'am, we do not have clearance to leave the fugitive alone. He needs to be under 24 hour surveillance."

Cassie huffed, "He is not going to be alone. I will be here. He is restrained and I'm not saying you have to go all the way to the other side of the ship. Just wait outside the door. You can keep an eye on him right from the door. I am not joking when I say that one of you is going to get stabbed or sliced with one of these devices if you don't clear out!" She didn't usually lose her temper so easily, but she was overworked and hadn't slept in the past two days. She was in no mood to negotiate.

They stood right outside the door, clearly awaiting Loki to attempt an escape. He remained on the table, silently observing the human healer. His eyes widened in surprise as she approached him with a steaming wet cloth and brushed it over his face. "What are you doing?" he asked bemused and slightly irritated.

"I can't clean your wounds with your face being this dirty. It needs to be cleaned," Cassie replied as she once again swiped the cloth over his face.

He noted that she was not being rough with him as others had been. She had a stern, almost angry expression on her face, but she washed his face carefully. "You have a gentle touch, Miss Stark," he said coolly.

Confidently she replied, "You won't be saying that when I'm sticking needles into your head." Loki laughed aloud. _He has a good laugh,_ Cassie thought to herself. _It's not as maniacal as I had imagined. _

Loki had decided that now was as good of a time as any to try to get a rise out of her in order for his next plan to work. "So," he began suggestively. "Tell me, Miss Stark-"

"Cassie. Just call me Cassie," she interrupted, pulling the stitching material out of a drawer.

"Very well then," he continued with another wicked smile. "Tell me, _Cassie_, what is it like living in the shadow of your brother, the genius?" He knew the answer to this question for just days before he had coldly reminded his own brother of the shadow that he himself lived under in Asgard.

Cassie snorted with irritation. "It's rather cold, actually. I never get to see any sun."

The god chuckled at her quick-witted response. He was beginning to find her to be quite amusing. "I would imagine so. He certainly has everything one should desire to obtain in this life. Wealth, admiration from your kind, power, love…" he trailed off, raising his eyebrows at Cassie, pushing for a response.

She did not bother to meet his expectant gaze. Instead, she was focused on the cut on his nose as she applied the numbing cream to prepare for stitching. "Yes, my brother is quite the lucky man," she replied, brushing him off. She had a close relationship with her brother, but there was no jealousy between them. The things that were important to Tony Stark were not important to Cassie. She did not desire wealth, or admiration, or power, or even love for that matter. She found solace in doing her job and living freely without any restrictions. "And you're one to talk, Loki. You should know better than anyone what it's like to live under a shadow," she commented smugly. She knew all about his vendetta against his brother due to the loud conversations among the others on the ship. "Thor is much bigger than my brother, so I would imagine it to be a much bigger shadow than the one that I have supposedly been under."

"Mind your tongue, girl," he snapped. The rage building in his eyes was apparent and frightening as she stared into them. "You know nothing."

"I know enough to know what kind of man… correction, monster you are, Loki. Don't presume to think you know anything about my life. I do not care to have a nice little chat with you. I'm here to do my job, so please, don't make this difficult."

Her use of the word "please" took him by surprise. It was a word that he had not been familiar with in a long while. Still, he did not like being talked down to and he was not about to let her speak to him with such arrogance. "Do not treat me like a child. I have not been muzzled; therefore I have the freedom to speak freely. I thought humans were more courteous than this," he joked.

Cassie laughed in a boisterous manner, frustrating the god. "What about this conversation do you find to be humorous?" he asked, annoyed at her nerve.

Still laughing, she answered, "All of it." She noted his puzzled expression as she began stitching his nose, impressed at his apparent pain tolerance. He did not even flinch as she stitched. Though she should have known. It would take a Hulk to make him feel pain. "It's just amusing how much power you think you have over people while you're sitting here, restrained and waiting for your impending punishment. You have no power over anyone, so excuse me while I laugh at your attempts to make threats."

Loki was stunned speechless, not from surprise, but from complete rage. How _dare_ she. His fists were clenched so tightly he had lost feeling in them. His lip quivered involuntarily as he fought back harsh, cruel words. She would pay for her insolence, but it would be slow, deliberate, and so painful that she would be down on her knees begging for death, and only after she had pleaded enough and suffered to his liking, would he grant her wish in the most excruciating way possible.

His lack of a comeback astounded and frightened her, though she would never admit it. Cassie couldn't help but briefly wonder what thoughts were wandering through his mind. She instantly regretted her statement. The worst thing you can do with a psychopath is put yourself on their radar, and she may have just accomplished that, though she hoped otherwise.

"Delivery for an angel?" spoke a familiar voice, interrupting her thoughts. Cassie and Loki immediately turned towards a man in uniform in the doorway, a wide smile spread across his face.

"Hey, Logan! Back so soon?" asked Cassie, a similar grin gracing her face.

Loki took careful notice of the soldier entering the room. He sneered at the human's attempt to seem official. He had destroyed so many of his kind easily in battle. He was just another simple-minded worker of S.H.I.E.L.D., yet he felt irritated by his presence, more so than the rest of the soldiers. Perhaps it was because he had interrupted his delightful plans of torture that he had been devising.

"I told you I wouldn't be too long," Logan replied as he crossed the room to Cassie, then placing his lips on her own, giving her a loving kiss. Loki could not take his eyes off of the scene. Human interaction had not been of interest to him, but he was not pleased with a worker of S.H.I.E.L.D. touching what he considered to be his future slave to torment, let alone touching her in such a sensual way.

"I see you've kept yourself busy," he finished, signaling towards Loki.

"Very funny," she replied with an eye roll. "Maybe if you had done your job quicker, I would be relaxing in my bed by now."

"Hmm," Logan spoke softly as he embraced her. "That's an interesting thought."

Loki sighed impatiently, revolted with the display taking place before him. Cassie pushed him away playfully before laughing, "Stop that, I'm working."

"Well, when you're finished working, you know where to find me, so try to hurry," he finished with a wink.

"I'll do my best," she calls after him in a joking manner as he begins to exit the room.

"As for you," Logan said bitterly towards Loki. "If it were up to me, I would have you bled to death from your eyes after I had ripped them out. I hope you realize how lucky you are that the Avengers found you before I did."

Loki slowly raised his head to smile cynically at Logan. "Well, if I had known that the punishment for attempting to enslave this pathetic Earth would consist of being cared for by your own personal harlot, I would have made an effort long before now."

Logan was in the god's face in a matter of seconds. "Watch what you say around me, you worthless excuse for a life. The trigger on my gun may just pull itself." He was seething while Loki was clearly amused and pleased with the response he had gotten from Logan.

"Okay, Logan. I can't have you killing my patients," Cassie said as she pushed him out of the door. "I'll meet you for dinner later, I promise; until then, stay out. Don't let him get to you, it's apparently what he does." Cassie was irked at Loki's harlot comment, but she wasn't too taken aback by his vulgar remark.

Reluctantly, Logan stormed out staring daggers at Loki's menacing expression as he left. "Are you pleased with yourself?" Cassie asked once Logan had walked out of the room.

"Very," Loki simply replied, fighting back a laugh.

Cassie had just snipped off the remaining stitching material, finishing her work. "Your words are your best defense, aren't they?" She was truly curious about his answer.

"No, though a worthy and entertaining defense, it is not my best." Now was his time to act. He prepared himself for what he had to do.

"Do I dare ask what your best defense is?" Cassie asked as she began putting away her tools.

"This… is my best defense," he whispered directly into her ear, making her jump. It happened in a matter of seconds. She instantly turned towards Loki who had somehow escaped his restraints and stood in front of her. She leaped backwards in surprise, not noticing the other Loki behind her, still on the examination table. While the other Loki distracted Cassie, he had somehow frozen the chains, making it easy for him to break through them with his godly strength. The moment the double Loki appeared, security had entered the room, but Loki was too quick for them. As they had their eyes set on the double next to Cassie, the actual Loki had approached her from behind placing one forceful arm around her neck and the other around her arms, locking her in an iron grasp.

"Surrender now or we will shoot!" the soldiers yelled aiming at both gods. Cassie was gasping for air due to his too tight grip around her neck.

"Now," Loki whispered threateningly into Cassie's ear. "Humor me, Cassie. Remind me of how powerless I am."

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**I had revised so many times, that it was just getting ridiculous so I just decided to post and hope for the best! Please let me know your thoughts! It's great fuel for future chapters to be posted quicker! Is that a bribe? Maybe…..**

**-LostInParadise**


	3. The Beast and the Harlot

**I am so humbled and grateful for the kind praise that I have received for this story thus far. I give you my sincerest apologies for the delay of this chapter. I go to school full time and work two jobs so finding spare time is not always easy, but I have grown quite fond of this story, so I will try to update much more frequently. I have many things planned for this story other than actual written text. I am not familiar with this website and it's take on links and pictures, but I plan to incorporate that into the story to provide you all with visual stimulation as well! Another reason for the delay of this chapter is because I am a film editor and I have been working on a small film for this. It is nothing spectacular, but it is something fun to go along with the story and I hope that you will all enjoy it when it is completed.**

**Also, in case you haven't noticed, every chapter I have written has been inspired by a song so if the site permits, I will post a link to the song that the chapters were inspired from so that you may all make the comparison and maybe also discover some great music along the way!**

**Okay, enough of my babbling; I know what you've all been waiting for. Please enjoy the following chapter!**

**Chapter 3: The Beast and the Harlot**

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His cold, green eyes darted from the soldiers pointing their guns directly at him to the woman he was tightly grasping in his arms. A cunning smile was plastered across his face at the feeling of being in control of the situation. His double had disappeared, so there was no longer any confusion as to which of the two Loki's was the real one.

"I said, stand down or we will not hesitate to shoot!" shouted one of the soldiers in the doorway.

"Give it your best attempt, I urge you," Loki replied calmly. He knew that they would not attack while he held the sister of Tony Stark.

Loki leaned in to whisper in Cassie's ear, "You see, power is not difficult to acquire. You simply need to know when and where to make your move." Wanting her to feel pain he grabbed her arms even tighter knowing how easily humans bruised. "I ask you, do you now find me threatening?"

"Take your hands off of me," Cassie hissed in retaliation, fighting the urge to cry out from the pain in her arms. She felt the unsteadiness in her voice betraying her effort to sound brave.

He laughed darkly at her demand. "I would love for you to make me."

"Loki, do we really have to do this again?" asked a familiar voice from the doorway. Loki's attention snapped from Cassie to the man layered in royal shades of red, white and blue.

"Your ability to sense trouble never ceases to amaze me, Captain. Do tell me how you easily seem to make an appearance when trouble arises."

"Threats are everywhere, all the time. You just have to know where to look," Steve said casually.

A slight jab on his foot distracted Loki for a brief moment. He smiled when he realized what it was. "Did you honestly presume that stomping on my boot would cause me enough pain to release you?" he asked Cassie, highly amused.

Her lack of response confirmed his suspicions. He chuckled before saying, "You're going to have to try a lot harder than that. I am a god, you ignorant quim. I am practically invincible to you pathetic mortals, and you think you can escape my grasp with a weak attack of your foot? Pitiful," he finished with a sneer.

Cassie knew it was a feeble attempt, but she was far from ignorant. What Loki did not consider was that her intentions were not to hurt him, but to distract him, which she accomplished.

As Loki scoffed at her endeavor, Steve sent one of the other soldiers for backup, hoping it would go unnoticed by the god.

Once Loki's attention was turned back to the soldiers, Steve urged him once more to surrender. "Haven't you learned anything by now?" Loki asked angrily. "I will surrender to no one. I am not one who easily falters. I refuse to lie down and be driven into the ground by such a low race of beings. You _will_ be under my rule and I _will_ be king of this world. You do not have the means to contain me forever. There is not a single doubt that dwells in my mind that you shall all fall to my glory, beginning with this wretched excuse for a life in my grasp," he spat as his gaze fell on Cassie.

"You can go to hell," she retaliated against him, though still in immense pain from his grip.

He pressed his face against her so that she could feel his smile against her ear as he whispered, "What you fail to realize, Cassie, is that I have already been there. You know nothing of hell, but I promise you this…" He said as he leaned in impossibly closer to her. "You will."

She had never considered Loki's presence to be threatening until that moment. With those words her blood seemed to turn cold as her breath became shallow and frightful as she remained stiff against his body.

He was pleased as he took notice of her fear and laughed silently to himself.

Cassie looked towards the soldiers wondering to herself if they had heard Loki's cruel words, but by the confused and intrigued face of the Captain, they had not. She finally felt a bit of relief when Logan had pushed his way through, a livid expression upon his face.

"Ahh, the love-sick soldier coming to claim his harlot. I believe that now is your chance to rip my eyes out and watch me bleed to death. If I recall correctly, that is what you had desired my punishment to be, was it not?" Logan's breathing was heavy and his body was shaking with what was either fear or rage. "I would imagine such a fate would be quite painful, if you could physically manage to tear out the eyes of a god. Allow me to show you what pain really is," he growled as he took hold of Cassie's hand.

Cassie watched wide-eyed as he carefully grasped her hand, taking a moment to inspect it with what appeared to be curiosity before placing his fingers around her hand in an abnormal way. She heard a sickening crunch before she noticed the immense, excruciating pain. She couldn't help but cry out as she fell forward in agony, almost landing on her knees if Loki had not had his other hand around her waste to hold her steady.

Logan lurched forward but was pulled back by Steve and the other fellow soldiers. "You bastard!" Logan cried out, fuming.

"Mortals are so weak," Loki spat with loathing as he watched Cassie hold her hand close to her body for support. "Your lack of pain tolerance is comical. Perhaps I should break something of more importance." He placed his hand on her head in an odd fashion, positioning it to snap her neck with ease.

"No!" Logan and Steve shouted in unison.

Pleased with the desperate expression on their faces, Loki slowly removed his hand and brought Cassie closer to him. She groaned in refusal and leaned away, but was no match for his strength. Loki was not finished with his game and he had planned to drag this out for as long as possible.

He wanted to get a rise out of Logan for his earlier remarks and in doing so, he slowly tilt down to gently place his lips on Cassie's neck, kissing it softly, eyes never leaving Logan's enraged face. He knew that it was taking all of the soldiers to hold him back, but they could not hold him back forever.

Upon feeling the god's lips on her neck, Cassie ripped away, disgusted. A bit surprised by her sudden strength, he pulled her back, laughing. "Your courage is short-lived, mortal. Tell me, do you fear death?"

Cassie ignored him, still concentrating on the pain surging through her hand. She glanced up to read Logan's expression. He had an odd look on his face. It was as if he was not even looking at her, or Loki, but past them through the window. She looked to Steve only to see that he was looking past them as well. She did not dare glance behind her in fear that she would give away whatever they plan they may have been creating.

However, Loki was aware of his surroundings and took notice of the direction the soldiers were looking. Intrigued, he took a moment to turn around to observe what the others had been so captivated by.

He did not even get the chance to fully turn around. He felt a large blow to his head, releasing Cassie from his grip. He did not fall to the ground for something had shattered through the glass behind him, pushing him with such force that he fell through the hard walls of the room. Irritated, he pulled himself out of the debris and brushed off his clothing as he faced his assailants.

Iron Man stood before him, guns blazing with Captain America by his side, his own shield raised in defense. Loki tightened his lips together in thought as his eyes wandered past them to observe Cassie, carefully huddled under Logan. _What a pathetic creature_, he thought to himself.

"I was beginning to think you would fail to make an appearance, Stark," Loki huffed.

"I wouldn't miss a chance to battle with the Rock of Ages," said Stark, trying to cover his anger with humor.

"By all means," Loki smiled, attempting to prod him into action, "Enlighten me with your combat expertise."

"I plan to," Stark simply spoke, signally to Logan to remove Cassie from the room.

Loki's watched intently as his eyes followed the soldier carrying what he would soon destroy, His plan had not yet been completed.

The moment they had left the room, Loki was blasted back into the wall by an explosive to his chest. He growled with irritation as he once again crawled from the debris. He smirked as he quickly multiplied himself into at least twenty different Loki's scattered all over the room, laughing menacingly. Steve was fighting air as he searched for the real Loki.

Stark turned on his heat sensor to scan the room to find the real Loki. Before it was complete he was assaulted from the back of his head, causing his suit to spark from the impact. He quickly turned for a counter attack, but was unsuccessful for when he had turned Loki was cursing and squirming for he had been held tight within Thor's arms.

"Release me, you ignorant brute!" Loki seethed.

It hardly seemed to be a struggle for Thor to keep Loki locked within his iron tight grip. "Be reasonable, brother. This is for your own good and for the good of everyone on this ship."

"You do not actually believe that, do you?" Loki argued against Thor, still trying to wriggle from him. "We are gods! I should not be treated so lowly! These humans think that they can contain me with their contraptions? They will soon learn otherwise!"

"Take him back to the holding cell," Steve demanded. "We'll set up 24 hour surveillance to watch other him in case he tries anything else.

Thor held Loki in position while one of the soldiers bound his wrists in chains. Loki sighed in irritation as he refrained from struggling any longer.

He allowed Thor and a team of soldiers to escort him back to the cell he had come to know so well. On the walk back to the cell, his eyes wandered to a room where Logan was embracing Cassie tightly. When her eyes met Loki's he was baffled by her expression. It was not angry, or hurt. He could not place her expression. Was it curiosity? He took that moment to give her a wide, wicked smile before he winked, attaching a silent promise as he passed the room and continued to his holding cell.

* * *

**I am not entirely pleased with this chapter, but it was really a filler chapter before it starts getting to the good stuff. The next chapter will be much more fulfilling, I promise! I just really needed to crank out a chapter, so I hope this was decent. I know that Cassie seemed a bit "helpless" in this chapter, but I am trying to make her a realistic character. Honestly, what would you have done in that situation? I myself may have passed out in fear, haha!**

**Please let me know your thoughts! I take them seriously and it really affects the writing. Reviews are a large booster for further chapters. I am so humbled by the amount of reviews I have received and how many people are following this story. Your dedication is greatly appreciated and I only hope that I can keep you entertained!**

**Thank you again!**

**-LostInParadise**


	4. Dance With The Devil

Chapter 4: Dance With The Devil

Loki eyed his visitors, pleased at their frustrated, brooding gazes. "What have I done that deserves such an audience?" he asked innocently.

Fury stepped forward, eyes serious. His posture was noticeably stiff as he spoke. "Your attempt to kidnap a civilian was a futile attempt to escape. I cannot begin to wonder what goes on in that head of yours, but did you really think that your plan would work?"

Loki tilted his head back and barked a low, vigorous laugh. "That was not an attempt to kidnap one of your kind. My gesture was a simple greeting and a promise."

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?" asked Fury, truly interested. Loki's lips peeled back from his teeth to reveal a sinful smile for a response.

Tony, still in his Iron Man suit, walked toward the glass that was imprisoning Loki. "And now I have a promise for you; If you so much as think about touching my sister again, I'll kill you. _That_ is a promise that _I_ intend to keep." His face was livid, his lips curling in loathing at the god.

Steve and Natasha gave Stark a look of warning, which he seemed to not have noticed for he was focused on Loki.

"Such a temper, Mr. Stark. I truly have no intention of touching your sister again." He paused for effect and to absorb Tony's look of slight surprise. "I have much larger plans for the rest of you, but for her… She will suffer in ways that you cannot even imagine; not even in your worst nightmares."

Stark punched the glass, causing the entire cage to fall slightly from its grip. Steve and Clint grabbed Tony to drag him from the room as he shouted profanities, which were drowned out by Loki's laughter.

Once Stark was no longer able to be heard, Fury turned towards Loki tiredly. "I do not have the patience to sift through your head of craziness to find out what you are truly planning at the moment, but we have a lot of time. Get comfortable, because you're going to be in here for a long time." He slowly walked out of the room, followed by Natasha and Bruce, leaving Thor alone with his brother.

"Have you no remorse, brother?" Thor asked heatedly.

Loki sneered with annoyance. "I have little remorse for those who are so far beneath me."

"You think yourself above them?"

"Well, yes," he replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "I assumed that much was clear."

Thor took a moment to think before asking, "Do you think yourself above me?"

"I do," Loki simply stated. "You are arrogant, you are reckless, and you do not have what it takes to be a King."

"Tell me, Loki. What are qualities a true King should posses?" Thor asked, his anger becoming more apparent. "Is it greed? Selfishness? Pride? If those are indeed the requirements for a King than you truly are well on your way."

"Do not criticize me," Loki warned. "It takes power, insight, strength, knowing your place, and knowing the place of those beneath you."

"You are so blinded by your jealously that you cannot see the truth!" Thor shouted. "Loki, this is madness!"

"Is it madness?" Loki asked, his upper lip quivering with rage. "You can keep me locked in this mortal-made contraption as long as you see fit, but you know as well as I do that it will not keep me. The Tesseract may have the power to return us to Asgard, but for how long? I will rule this realm and there is nothing that you, nor any other being can do to stop it. It has been written in the stars, and I will do what I must to ensure my rightful place on the throne." His voice had become a snarl and his body shook with fury as he slowly approached the glass in front of Thor.

"You wish to know if I have remorse? You will soon discover how little remorse I have, brother," he spat at the last word. "Now, remove yourself from my presence," he demanded as he turned away from Thor, signifying that the conversation was finished.

Thor sighed, his heart overflowing with sorrow. "I shall not give up hope for you. I believe that one day you will come to your senses and willingly reclaim your place amongst us in Asgard, your home."

"Leave me!" Loki shouted, still turned from his brother.

He waited a moment before he heard Thor's heavy footsteps leaving the room, shutting the heavy door behind him without another word.

It was not long before he heard the door open with multiple footsteps coming towards his cage. "I will not say it again!" he shouted again, angrily. "I am in no mood for your lecture!"

"I didn't come here to lecture you," said a smooth, female voice.

Loki whipped around to see Cassie Stark with a black and brown mongrel at her side, which he assumed was the extra set of footsteps.

He eyed her carefully before speaking. "What has possessed you to speak with me if not to lecture me?"

"I'm a curious human. I have questions," she answered simply.

"And you presumed that I would hand them over to you without any fuss?" He asked in return.

A slight smile was hidden at the corners of her mouth. "No, which is why I thought I would use my charm and whit to obtain them."

"You're as arrogant as your brother," Loki spoke, meaning to sound harsh but instead came across as amused.

"And you're selfish, unlike your brother," she replied.

Loki fought the urge to roll his eyes. Instead he held her gaze patiently, waiting for her to drop her eyes in discomfort. When she didn't, he stepped closer to her, but before he could get too close to the glass, the creature growled lowly. Loki was forced to break his stare and scoff at it. "Control your beast, or I will be forced to silence him myself."

She placed her hand on his head, patting him softly. "Hush, Ozzy," she spoke softly.

"Ozzy?" He asked, puzzled. "What kind of a name is that for such a repulsive beast?"

"Do you really not have dogs where you're from?" She asked, chuckling lowly. "He's named after Ozzy Osbourne, one of the greatest men in rock and roll."

Loki raised his eyes questionably. "Clearly you're not familiar with good music," she accused as she finished patting her dog.

"The alikeness between you Starks is irritating, and in no way entertaining. I refuse to be spoken to as an ignorant being."

When she did not respond, his eyes fell to the bandage wrapped around the hand he had injured. She took notice and lifted it up uncertainly. "You didn't break it," she began. "You just dislocated a few fingers."

"I know," he plainly stated.

"You know?"

He nodded.

"What was the point? It hurt like hell, but Logan put them back into place, which may have hurt even worse," she thought out loud.

At the mention of Logan, Loki's lip curled with aversion. He quickly changed the subject. "You spoke of questions you sought answers to. Do not waste my time any further. Ask them," he demanded.

She raised her eyebrows in surprise of his tone but sat down on a chair near to her and took a moment to look him over before speaking. "Why didn't you kill me? You could have done so easily. Why didn't you?"

"I needed you as leverage to escape."

Still watching him carefully, she took a moment before replying. "Liar."

"Take care how you speak, girl," he warned.

She rose from her chair to walk towards the glass imprisoning him. "If you were so keen on escaping you could have done so much more easily than hiding behind me like a coward."

"I am no coward!" he shouted, coming forward, rage clear in his piercing green eyes. "I am a god, and I fear nothing! Especially fragile, pathetic mortals."

Cassie looked unsteady, but stood her ground. "Why is power so important to you?"

He growled and began pacing with haste around his cell trying desperately to keep his wrath in check. Now was not the time for him to release it.

"You need to leave," he snapped.

"You haven't answered any of my questions," she stated.

He then threw himself against the glass, fuming, causing Cassie's dog to snarl at the god. "You damn fool! I did not kill you because that would be too easy and too quick! Your lack of respect for me is insufferable and you shall pay for your insolence!"

Her face fell the more he spoke, true fear arising within her.

"It will be my dearest pleasure, my sincerest delight to make you suffer. I crave to see the look in your eyes as I am ripping the skin from your bones, you intolerable quim. That is why I did not kill you!"

Cassie took a few steps back from the glass, a look of shock plastered across her face.

"As for power, I do not seek it, I deserve it," he hissed. "I was born to be a King, and with that comes power. I am burdened with glorious purpose, something that you will never understand." When he was finished, he was panting due to his emotional outburst.

Cassie prodded her cheek with her tongue in thought, still shocked at his threatening words. Still, she was persistent, and though she feared for her life, she was not going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that. "Well," she began before turning around to walk out of the room, "I'm sure that in the end you'll get everything you deserve."

He knew the true meaning of her words as she exited, but said nothing. He quickly grew tired of this game and needed to put his plan into action. It was time for him to break free of this absurd cage and begin his new life as King of the Earth.

* * *

Cassie felt lightheaded as she walked towards her room with her dog by her side. A good night's sleep was long overdue and she was in desperate need of a shower and her bed.

On her way to her room, she passed by Logan in the debriefing room. "Hey, Cassie. Where have you been?"

She signed tiredly as she wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "I went to see Loki."

He instantly became stiff beneath her, pulling away with concern. "Why would you do that, Cassie? Do you really think that was a smart move?"

She laughed at his protective instincts. "I needed some closure."

"And did you get it?" he asked as he brought her injured hand to his lips, kissing the bandages gently.

Her face fell as she replied, "No, but I suppose it doesn't matter." She didn't want to worry him more with Loki's senseless death threats. He had enough to worry about without having to add Loki's death obsession on top of that.

"Please, Cassie. I know that you find some sort of sick thrill from seeking out danger, but don't go messing with that guy. His mind is a bag of cats. You can smell crazy on that guy."

"I know," she said as she placed a kiss on his cheek. "I'm really tired now so I'm going to bed. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," he smiled in return for her kiss. "Sleep well."

"Kick ass at work," she called back as she walked down the hallway to her room.

Once finally in her room she didn't waste any time in turning on the hot water in her shower, undressing and stepping in. She exhaled a sigh of relief as the steaming water engulfed her.

As she shampooed her hair, she heard her name being called. Irritated of the interruption, she stuck her head outside of the shower. "I'm in here! What do you need?" she shouted.

No response.

Shrugging her shoulders she continued with her shower. Not even a minute later, she heard her name again. The voice was low and soft, sounding close by. Once again she shouted out, "Yes? I'm in the bathroom, who's there?"

Once again, there was no response.

Apparently her job was never done. She finished showering quickly so she could find out what was going on. She stepped out of the shower carefully into the foggy room, wrapping a towel around herself. She walked over the mirror to wipe away the steamy layer covering it. She stared at her reflection and froze. Red liquid was falling from her eyes. She slowly touched her fingertips to her cheek and pulled them away to see the substance that she could only assume was blood. There was no denying it; she worked around it every day.

She began to hyperventilate as she quickly looked from the blood on her hands to the scarlet liquid falling down her face.

She quickly turned to grab some tissues but slipped and fell on the wet floor. She crawled to the tissues and grabbed a few before dabbing them on her face, but when she pulled them away, there was no blood.

She forced herself up off of the floor and ran to the mirror once again only to see that she was no longer crying blood. Stunned, she blinked her eyes several times to make sure that everything was alright. Amongst her panic, she heard familiar laughter around her. She whipped around to see where it was coming from, but saw no one. That's when it occurred to her what had just happened.

Cassie had never felt so angry. She quickly clothed herself with a tank top and shorts before stomping her way across the ship to the containment facility holding the mischievous god.

She burst through the doors, anger surging throughout her veins. "What the hell kind of game do you think you're playing?" she demanded, furiously.

He smiled a crooked smile at her before replying playfully, "Do I look to be in a gaming mood?"

"How dare you!" she shouted. "How the hell did you even do that? Your powers are supposed to be contained in there! What gives you the right to pull that kind of move? I knew you were sick, but I didn't expect you to be the kind of person who gets their rocks off by taking sick pleasure in other people's terror!"

"I am unfamiliar with your references," he replied, eyes never leaving hers. "But you should not have made the mistake of underestimating me."

"What is it that you want from us, Loki?" she asked, too exhausted to keep her furious front. "Why do you find the need to keep torturing everyone around you?"

"Your torture has only begun," she barely heard him whisper.

"Stay the hell away from me, Loki."

"That's not in my agenda, Miss Stark," he replied with an acidic tone.

She opened her mouth to reply but before the words even left her mouth the room went black. She couldn't see an inch in front of her face. She heard a loud bang and turned to leave, but she was grabbed from behind. She began to scream but her mouth was quickly covered. She heard nothing but the sound of Loki's low voice whispering words into her ear that she could not understand before she unwillingly drifted off into a deep sleep.

* * *

**This chapter was really dialogue heavy, but I felt as though it needed it. I hope you all enjoyed it! It had a bit more drama than the previous chapters. I am so excited for the next few chapters coming up and I hope you're excited for them as well! Thank you so much to everyone for all of the wonderful reviews. I am deeply touched by the support and they really are fuel for future chapters to be made quickly!**

**I did not get a chance to proof read this as thoroughly as I would have liked so if you find any mistakes I apologize in advance and will get to them as soon as I can. Please let me know what you think of this chapter! It was a bit difficult to write, but also a lot of fun!**

**This chapter was inspired by the song "Dance With The Devil" by the band Breaking Benjamin. I dare you to listen to that song and not to think of Loki! It's impossible!**

**-LostInParadise**


	5. Fine Again

**I must admit the sudden drop in reviews from the last update saddened me. I really hope that I haven't disappointed the readers with the last chapter. Feedback is essential to me, so please let me know your thoughts on the direction of the story. Reviews do affect the story, so please share your likes and dislikes! Every word is appreciated. Again, I'm sorry if the last chapter was not up to par. Hopefully this one will prove to be better.**

**This chapter was inspired by "Fine Again" from the artist, Seether.  
**

**Chapter 5: Fine Again**

* * *

Cassie awoke from the consistent shivering of her body due to the cold surrounding her. She groaned aloud in protest of the condition she was in. Other than the immensely cold, hard ground she seemed to be laying on, her head felt like it had been split open. Her eyes fluttered open to reveal nothing but what seemed to be eternal darkness. It was as if opening and closing her eyes made no difference.

She slowly raised herself from the floor into a sitting position, wrapping her arms around her shuddering form to try to retain some warmth. The memories of her last conscious moment flooded back into her mind, causing her headache to worsen.

"Hello?" she croaked out due to her dry throat.

No answer.

Her throat seared with pain as she screamed at the top of her lungs, once again waiting for someone to acknowledge her presence.

"There's no need to raise your voice to such a level," responded a quiet, velvet voice.

"Loki!" she snapped, grinding her teeth together in hatred. "Where the hell did you take me?"

She suddenly heard Loki's voice from the other side of whatever space he was keeping her in. "I believe that I had promised to make you suffer, my dear Cassie. To break such a promise would undoubtedly prove to be discriminatory, would it not?"

Still shaking from the cold, Cassie forced herself onto her feet attempting to talk into the direction of where she assumed Loki to be. "Tell me where we are, Loki," she demanded. "I can't imagine anywhere in America being this cold this time of year."

Loki chuckled at her comment, enjoying her admittance that she was suffering because of her surroundings. "Where we are is of no concern for you. Soon your location will be of no importance, for you will be begging for death soon enough."

She could hear the malice in his voice, which only encouraged her to be more aggressive. "You're even more insane than I had originally thought, Loki."

He glided forward instantly, roughly wrenching her face in his direction with his hand. Cassie involuntarily let out a small yelp of surprise. She didn't expect him to be so close and she could already feel the bruises forming on her face due to his fingers digging into her cheeks.

"Take care how you speak," he threatened dangerously as he relished at her sounds of pain. "Allow me to make this perfectly clear; you are going to expire here, Miss Stark. I have brought you here to ensure your much-deserved anguish. Your outbursts and insults have been uncouth and not at all appropriate for your future King. I shall use you to set an example for all those who believe that there is hope. I intend to not only break your spirit, Cassie, but your earthly body as well. When I am finished with you, I will return your corpse to your dear brother so that he may see my good work. It will not be long after that until he will share the same fate, as you are about to endure. Does that make sense to you, mortal?"

For a moment, Cassie was glad that she could not see anything except for the darkness. She could only imagine the complete malevolence in his eyes as he spoke. His words were venomous and cut through her like daggers. She couldn't think of anything to say in response…

So she spat in his face.

He threw her down with so much force that she was sure she landed badly on her leg and felt a sharp pain as she heard a sickly snapping sound. Though her leg was beginning to throb in pain, she crawled back as quickly as she could while Loki made noises of disgust.

"You foolish human! Where do you find the audacity?" he bellowed. "You will pay greatly for your act of insolence. Let us see how much fight you have after a few days without sustenance. However, do not worry yourself. As soon as it is ready, your torment will begin."

Cassie heard the sound of a large door closing, which she assumed meant that Loki had left. She usually just scoffed at whatever threats Loki had made, but for the first time, she was truly frightened. The only good thing she had going for her was that the freezing temperature in the room lessened the pain in her leg, which she gathered had broken when she was pushed to the floor. On top of that, her stomach was making noises in protest because of the lack of food. How long had she been passed out? When was the last time she had something decent to eat? She secretly hoped that she would starve to death before Loki could get the chance to fulfill his promise of torture.

So this was it for her. She was going to die in this place because of her big mouth. She really had Tony to thank for that. She had to find some way to defend herself against his arrogant way of speaking.

She vaguely wondered what Loki had planned for her before she pushed away the thought, knowing that it would just make her feel worse. She had never given death that much of a thought. She began to worry less for herself and more for her brother. They were all each other had after their parents had passed away. Tears gathered in her eyes as she began to think about the anguish he would go through. Cassie new him well enough to know that he would forever blame himself for her death, though it wasn't his fault in the least.

Her thoughts then drifted to Logan. How devastated would he be when he found out about her death? They had been dating for about two months, not yet long enough to even say _I love you_ to each other. Cassie thought that they would have time to figure out their feelings for one another. Did she love him? There was something about his presence that would light up her day and make her feel relaxed, but was that love? Her thoughts drifted away from the questions and she dwelled on how much she had missed everyone back on the Helicarrier, even her dog.

_No_. She thought to herself, coming to her senses. _There is no way in hell I am going to die like this._

She steadily balanced herself so that she could get into a standing position. Forcing her uninjured leg to carry the majority of the weight, she hobbled forward from where she was stationed with her arms stretched out before her, still blinded by the darkness.

Her hands finally made contact with a wall that had a rough texture. She gathered that the walls were completely made of stone and damp. Cassie brought her hand up to her nose to smell the liquid emitted from the wall but it seemed to be odorless. From what she could conclude, it had been water and she seemed to be in a cavern.

She continued limping along the room with her hands still grazing the wall. She had hoped that she would feel a doorway or anything other than a coarse, strong wall. It seemed like she had been walking around the room for a half an hour before she collapsed, no longer able to carry her weight on one leg. She groaned as she fell to the ground in pain and frustration.

Cassie had never been one to cry, but as she lay on the cold ground, silent tears fell from her eyes. What little hope she had attained was fading fast.

As she lay on the chilled floor, the only comfort she thought to sooth her was to hum a song. Through her streams of tears she hummed softly a song about how though she was currently in hell, everything was going to be okay. She may not have truly believed it, but it was all she could think to do to pass the time by before Loki returned. It didn't take long before the darkness enveloped her and she fell asleep on the moist, cold ground.

* * *

Loki watched closely through the hidden bars, to high for her reach as Cassie circled the room searching for an escape. He laughed silently at her feeble attempt. He was pleased of his knowledge that human sight was weak and was unable to see in complete darkness. His eyes, however, were much more strong and could easily see her struggle with her injury.

She was like a rodent in observation. Fascinating to watch, but predestined to die quickly.

His head cocked to one side as she gave in to her scheme to flee, as if it would be that easy. He was taken aback by the noise she was suddenly projecting. What would have been too hushed for a human to take notice of, he heard it clearly as if her voice carried directly into his ear.

Though he would never admit it to anyone, he was soothed by her voice. It was not as though the voice she spoke with was harsh, but he had never heard it carried so smoothly before now.

He shook his head, snapping out of his stupor, appalled at how quickly he became captivated with a human trait. This would not prevent him from slaying her viciously.

He grinned as he replaced her humming with the sounds of her screams in his mind. It would not be long before he would be able to hear them in person. Cassie would soon rue the day she unwisely decided to disregard him as a threat.

* * *

"Get up," a loud, harsh voice bellowed nearby.

Cassie ignored the command, too sore and tired to oblige.

"I will not say this again. Get. Up," the familiar voice spoke dangerously.

"Fuck you," Cassie retorted.

She was rewarded with a swift kick to the stomach, making her huddle in pain, which caused her broken leg even more agony. She didn't have long to collect herself from the kick for Loki had grabbed her hair and vigorously pulled her to a standing position, eliciting a murmur of ache from Cassie.

"You shall refrain from moving until I give you permission," he demanded.

Cassie didn't bother to fight as she felt ropes binding her wrists together tightly. She recoiled a bit when a cloth fell upon her face, which was then tied around her head. She didn't understand what difference this would make considering she couldn't see anything anyway in this darkness.

Loki's work was finished when he wrapped one more rag around her face, forcing it into her mouth and then proceeding to wrap it firmly behind her cranium. "This is so that I am not bothered with your incessant talking," he whispered harshly into her ear.

What Loki did not consider was that without the balance of her arms, it was nearly impossible for her to walk on her own with a broken leg. He discovered this as he urged her to walk and she released a muffled cry as she fell forward, losing her stability. He quickly caught her from behind, wondering briefly why he didn't just let her fall, causing her more injury.

"You're more trouble than you're worth," he complained as he picked her up, tossing her over his shoulder as if she were a rag doll. He was not graceful about her leg, and he even made it a point to grasp her legs more tightly than required so that she would feel discomfort.

Cassie knew that he was trying to get a reaction from her, but she would not give in so easily. It took all of her strength to silence her cries of anguish as he carried her out of the cavern. The only thing she could hope for at this point was that he would soon tire of her torture and end her suffering more quickly than she had anticipated, but so far, luck had not been on her side.

* * *

**This chapter was darker than the others, but it will pick up soon, I promise! I have so much planned for this story and I'm just taking my time with the build up because I think it makes for a better story in the end. I hope that you all agree!**

**I hope you enjoy reading about vengeful Loki because you will be seeing a lot more of him, as well as some other sides as well, soon to be revealed! As for Cassie, just keep in mind that she's a fighter with a lot of attitude, so I hope you're looking forward to that!**

**I am so grateful for the love that this story has received so far. To those of you who have added this story to your alerts/favorites list, please do me the honor of leaving a comment on what you enjoy or do not enjoy about the story. I cannot stress enough on how helpful feedback is. I want to write a story that others will enjoy, so I really need to know if you think this story is headed in a good direction. I would appreciate it immensely. Again, thank you so much for reading! It means so much to me.**

**I will update again very soon!**

**- LostInParadise**


	6. Lost In Darkness

**Wow. I am stunned speechless over the amount of love I have received for this story on this previous chapter. I obtained so many incredible reviews and am thrilled to have received more alerts and favorites. I Thank you so much to everyone who provided feedback. In complete honesty, I had this chapter set up much differently, but after reading the reviews it is now going in a different, much better direction and I thank you once again for that. I hope you all enjoy this one!**

**My apologies for the length of time it took me to update. These past couple of weeks have been quite busy for me and it took me far too long to provide an update. I hope this chapter makes up for it. I promise to update more frequently in the future!**

**This chapter was inspired by "Lost In Darkness", by Escape the Fate.**

**Chapter 6: Lost In Darkness**

* * *

As Loki effortlessly carried her out of the cavern room, Cassie relied on her other senses to try to get a feel for where they were located. She silently cursed as they exited the cavern after she had searched for so long trying to find the exit herself. She assumed that it must have been spelled to keep hidden. _That asshole and his powers, _she thought to herself. _I'd like to see how he could survive even a day without them._

With her senses heightened from her lack of sight, she listened carefully. She heard something that sounded like heavy machinery echoing against the walls from a distance. Voices could be heard shouting over the machinery as well, but Cassie could not make out what they were saying. She also noticed the smell of her surroundings. It smelled of a damp swamp with the faint smell of something odd that she couldn't quite place.

Before she could assess her environment any further, Cassie was thrown onto a very cold and hard surface, causing her to elicit a brief groan. She could picture Loki giddy with excitement as to whatever he had planned to do with her. Cassie didn't bother struggling as he took her restraints and bound them to whatever she seemed to be lying on.

Listening closely, Cassie could hear Loki rummaging things around in search for something. She tried to ask what he was looking for out of morbid curiosity, but because of the cloth in her mouth muffling her voice, her question was impossible to understand.

Loki chuckled as he continued to search. "I very much prefer you this way," he commented on her inability to speak.

Cassie assumed that he had found what he was looking for because there was no longer a searching sound. When Loki spoke, he sounded as if he was right next to her.

"Something that has always fascinated me is the human expression of pain. As gods, we do not easily feel pain, but for your pathetic race, suffering comes so easily to you." She suddenly started to feel the hem of her shirt lift to expose her stomach. Instinctively she attempted to roll to her side to protest, but due to her bindings, she could hardly move, so she settled for a warning growl.

Loki made a disgusted sound in return. "Do not flatter yourself. I would never have intentions such as that with the shell of such a repulsive creature."

Though slightly relieved, Cassie still stiffened as she felt his hand caressing her stomach. She shivered under his touch, wishing that whatever he had planned that he would just get it over with.

Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted when she felt a cold, sharp object pressed to her abdomen. Loki moved it across her exposed body, though he refrained from cutting into her.

Cassie jumped slightly when she felt Loki's lips pressed to her ear as he whispered harshly, "You may not think that I have any power, but clearly I have more power than you had originally considered. I may not have the Tesseract or my army, but this world has certainly not heard the last of me."

Not realizing that she had been holding her breath, Cassie finally exhaled as he pulled away. Loki noticed her breathing and laughed chillingly. "You should consider yourself lucky," he continued with his rant. "I am required to make due with the weapons of Midgard for your torture. Had we been on Asgard your punishment would be much more severe."

The only thing Cassie could think to do was to ignore him. He was only looking for a reaction and she was not going to give him one.

Flinching once again from his touch, she was surprised when she felt his hands lift her head to untie her blindfold. "Calm yourself," he demanded softly. "I only wish to see the terror in your eyes as we go forth."

Once the cover was removed, Cassie took her time slowly opening her eyes to adjust to the dimly lit room. Her eyes wandered as she took notice of the stone walls, similar to what she felt in the previous room. She was on an elevated surface in the middle of the room, and in the corner she noticed a large bag, with tools of torture lying next to it. Her eyes widened in surprise at the complexity of them. A few of them looked to be ancient, which she should have assumed that they would be Loki's preference.

Distracting her from her observations, Loki harshly pushed on her injured leg, drawing out a muffled cry of pain. He forcefully pushed again, watching her carefully as she struggled to keep her face vacant of emotion. He growled, frustrated as he twisted her leg, earning a sickening sound of more cracking. He continued to twist until he saw a single tear begin to fall down her face. He ceased his game and walked closer to her face. Slowly, he placed her fingers on her cheek, catching the tear as it fell. He brought it closer to him, inspecting it as if it were the most fascinating thing he had ever seen.

His eyes darted to Cassie after she struggled to speak. Wiping the tear on his armor, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly into a smirk. "I am truly curious as to what you're attempting to say, dear Cassie. Please, enlighten me," he cooed deceptively.

Relief quickly turned to embarrassment as Cassie released a quiet sob once the makeshift gag was removed. Loki's lips peeled back into a satisfied grin.

He moved closer to her, his posture stiff with his hands held behind his back in an elegant stance. "For one who seems unable to control her tongue, you seem to be at a loss for words," he said slyly.

Breathing heavily from the pain, Cassie released a small laugh, causing Loki's forehead to crease with curiosity. "You know, Loki," she took a minute to pause while she released a frustrated sigh. "You think you're so much superior to me and to humans in general, but if you would take a moment to consider it, we're not so different."

"Your theory is fascinating," he commented with mock interest.

She took his intense silence as her indication to continue. "It's evident that you're in search of something that you aren't getting on your realm, wherever the hell it is that you're from."

"Asgard," he nearly spat with distaste.

"Okay, fine," she continued. "Like humans, you seem to want the impossible. You may have powers and supernatural strength, agility, etcetera, but you're still a lost soul, trying to find your purpose in life."

Loki's eyes narrowed dangerously at Cassie causing a chill to run through her, but she continued regardless. "You, like many humans, are selfish, cruel, and disrespectful. The difference between you and humans, Loki, is that there are actually decent people out there. You, on the other hand, will never be more than a conceited child, demanding attention. So before you put yourself on a pedestal, remember your place among every race of beings you've encountered. You're hated by humans, gods, and any other creature you have come across. You are no better than them. You're no different than any of us."

She had plenty more to say, but she stopped herself due to the heat of anger radiating off of the god before her. Though her words were brave, she felt as though she had made a mistake. The only good that could have come out of that was perhaps Loki would be so angry, he would just want to kill her and get it over with.

She cowered slightly as Loki slowly reached for her face, painfully digging his thumb and finger into her cheeks as he brought her face closer to his own. His upper lip quivered with rage as he gazed lividly at her. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he spoke with barely a whisper. "I will show you how different we are, Cassie Stark."

Still holding her gaze with his own, her eyes widened when his emerald green eyes suddenly started to change from the light color to a large pool of red and black. Captivated by his eyes, she did not even notice his skin changing color as well to a frosty blue until he brought his other hand towards to hold her throat tightly enough so that breathing was more difficult, but not so harshly as to cut off air completely. Though even through her struggle to breathe, she was awestruck by his appearance. She had never seen anything like it. She had heard of his real family descent, but never pictured him to look this way. He looked menacing, sure, but she couldn't help but wonder as he held her roughly if he truly had it in him to torture her. He had a high death toll, but from what she had heard, they had been quick.

He quickly resorted back to his familiar coloring as he continued to clutch her throat tightly. "I easily grow tired of your senseless rants, mortal. Perhaps I should permanently resolve the issue," he said as he waved his hand that was not holding her throat. A needle and thread materialized in the palm of his hand and Cassie held back a chuckle at his weapon of choice.

"Are you planning on sewing my lips shut? I thought you were more original than that," she replied weakly, trying to sound tough, but failing.

He smiled wickedly as he held the thread in the needle higher for inspection. "Yes, that is exactly what I plan to do. However, this is not simply thread," he gazed darkly at her, waiting for a response. When he did not receive one, he lightly touched the so-called thread to Cassie's skin. The screams she had been holding back were finally released as her skin burned and scabbed beneath its touch. The thread was acidic, and it was pouring into her skin. Though it seemed he held it to her for much longer, he removed it less than a second after he had applied it to her still exposed stomach.

The thin line from where it had been was releasing smoke and bleeding. She threw her head back into the table to try to distract herself from the pain. Loki expected to feel thrilled at her reaction, but he wasn't. He almost felt sorry for the pathetic creature in front of him. "I overestimated your ability to handle pain," he briefly stated. Her eyes, now filling with tears, held his for a moment. He noticed a familiar look in her eyes, which angered him.

"Do not pity me," he snapped.

Surprised that he knew exactly what she was thinking, she replied, "You make it hard for me not to pity you, Loki. You have such misplaced rage and it's sad to witness."

The nerve of this woman! How could she get under his skin so easily, without even trying? Loki's patience grew thin and he could hardly tolerate her comments any longer. He wanted her to pay for her arrogance and her lack of respect, but he had yet to find a way that he found suitable. He was taught the ways of torture in Asgard, but he himself had never carried out such an order. He did not want her dead as of yet, but he was running out of options.

Unable to obtain a quick solution, he growled in frustration as he began to cover her eyes with the cloth from before. "What are you doing?" she asked, confusion clear in her voice.

"I find myself compelled to dwell on your punishment for another night," he spoke angrily as he began to untie her other bindings. His hands worked swiftly as she was quickly released and before she could fully comprehend what was happening, he had tossed her over his shoulder again, quickly exiting the room and without saying another word, he carried her back to her cell.

Cassie was surprised when he placed her down gently instead of viciously throwing her to the rough ground. The moment he removed her blindfold, her eyes met his. Even through the darkness she could see his eyes shining in frustration and stressful thinking. She briefly wondered what was on his mind, but then remembered why she was back here in the first place. He wasn't done with her punishment and it was only going to get worse. That look in his eyes was probably malicious thoughts on what to do with her next.

"Cassie," Loki spoke firmly, breaking the silence in the pitch-black room.

"Yes?" she asked tiredly.

She was surprised when she felt herself suddenly lifted off of the ground again. One of Loki's hands was gripping her hair tightly and the other on her back, pressing her close to his chest. "Let go of me," she demanded weakly as she pushed against his chest.

He was like a rock against her attempts to create some space. Cassie was sure that even if she had all of her strength, pushing him would be a feeble attempt regardless.

Suddenly his raspy voice came close to her ear. "One way or another, Cassie, you will show me respect. Even if I have to rip it out of you as death envelopes you, I will have it. It would suit you well to accept that now rather than later."

Before she had a chance to respond he dropped her to the floor. She released a small whimper of pain as she landed on her injured leg. Loki let out a growl of frustration at her cry. "Your incessant mewling is pathetic and I can no longer tolerate it."

"Oh, excuse me for not handling a broken leg like a champ," she snapped. She could feel his eye roll at her response. She was surprised that he didn't get angry at her comment.

Even more shocking was when she felt him kneel down beside her and place his hands roughly on her leg. She hissed in pain, but expected some sort of punishment for her outburst. A sickening snap echoed around the large cavern, but she did not feel any pain. She glanced from the dark outline of Loki to her leg and began to feel lightheaded as he pressed his palms to her leg. Suddenly, the throbbing from her leg began to cease and once it was gone completely, Loki quickly stood up and began to walk away.

"What did you just do?" Cassie called after him.

"Your limb is no longer injured," he answered quietly in the dark.

Baffled, Cassie hesitantly asked, "Why would you do that?"

This made Loki stop in his tracks, realizing what she must be thinking. Turning towards her, his lip curled in loathing. "Do not mistake my healing you for _empathy_," he spat. "I simply grow tired of your whining and your inability to move on your own is pathetically maddening. Oh no, you will receive no recompense while you dwell here, dear Cassie. Your worst agony is yet to occur and I have come to realize that you are no good to me already injured. That is why I have chosen to heal you," he finished calmly.

Cassie scoffed in response. "And here I thought that we were just beginning to become friends."

Loki smirked in the dark, amused at her impossible remark, but still remained frustrated. "Enjoy your night, Miss Stark," was all he said before he slipped stealthily out of the cavern.

Cassie sighed once he had gone and laid her head against the stone wall trying to relax. With her leg now healed, she could now focus on other things, such as her hunger and desperate need for water. Her thoughts drifted towards Tony and how much she missed that asshole. She knew that he was going insane looking for her, as was Logan. Those two were relentless when it came to her safety and she could only imagine what kind of desperate state they were in trying to find her. As much as she wanted to be found, Cassie wouldn't subject them to such a place as this. Who knows what precautions Loki took when it came to his secret lair. She just hoped that wherever they were, they were doing okay.

It took awhile, but eventually Cassie drifted off to sleep, thinking of home and trying to ignore the fact that she would never see it again.

* * *

Loki paced angrily in his room, cursing aloud as he walked back and forth. "Damn you, Odin! Damn you for forcing me to become such a weak-willed fool!" A vicious growl ripped from his throat as he continued pacing.

A sudden, malicious thought finally occurred and he halted, smiling sadistically. He needed to call in a favor from an old friend who had a knack for torture…

* * *

Cassie was awakened by the sound of loud footsteps approaching her. She was stiff from sleeping on such a hard surface and she was feeling woozy from lack of food and water.

Her wish for water was viciously granted as she felt strong fingers against her cheeks, causing her mouth to open while lukewarm water was forced down her throat. She choked on the water from surprise and having been given a large amount in a short burst of time. "What the hell?" she shouted as she leaned forward, coughing.

Without warning, she was pinned to the ground by a large body, much larger than Loki's. "Get off of me!" she demanded. Just as the day before, she felt a cloth being tied around her face by the strange man and before she could process what was really happening, she was scooped up into his arms and was being carried out of the room. Too weak to protest, she just accepted it and hoped that he was leading her to a quick death.

She was placed on the familiar hard surface and she hissed slightly as the man was tying her wrists much too tightly to the table, securing her in place. Once he was finished, he ripped off the blindfold. Allowing her eyes time to adjust once more, she finally spotted Loki standing in the corner, an evil smirk on his face. His eyes were dark with malevolent anticipation.

"Hello again, Cassie," he spoke with a smooth and low tone.

Her eyes darted to the man that carried her in. He had a dull look in his eyes as they looked over her. He was bigger than she pictures, especially in comparison to Loki. Loki was tall and had some build, sure, but this guy could give Thor a run for his money.

"Who's the big guy?" she asked Loki weakly, trying to keep her voice steady but failing.

Loki's smirk quickly turned into a full-blown wicked smile before he replied, "I suppose you can say that he's here for inspiration."

Cassie swallowed hard as Loki slowly stepped closer to her until he was hovering over her, leaning in so that she could feel his cold breath on her face. "I was unsatisfied by your physical punishment," he whispered in a sinister way, "so I have decided to approach your torment through the mind."

She began to feel herself tremble despite her best efforts, but she kept her eyes steadily locked with his.

He flashed his teeth once more with excitement before he turned towards the large man. "If you will be so kind, I am ready to begin," he said, offering his hand to the man.

The stranger held out his wrist and allowed Loki to firmly take hold of it. A sudden surge of energy seemed to pierce Loki the moment he grasped the man's wrist.

Before Cassie had any time to protest, Loki tightly griped her bound wrist that was nearest him. She stared at him in shock, waiting for the pain to hit her. "You may want to brace yourself, Cassie," he spoke with eerie cheerfulness.

Her breath hitched with dread as she waited to feel pure agony, but instead she suddenly felt a strange trickling sensation beginning from her wrist and slowing making it's way down her arm. She turned her head towards the trickling to see what could possibly be causing the feeling. What she saw made her heart stop in panic.

* * *

Loki watched her carefully, waiting for any kind of reaction. He waited as he felt the energy course through him and flood into Cassie. Her eyes seemed to glaze over in a vacant stare. His eyes widened in shock as she suddenly began to convulse wildly and her mouth opened wide to release a blood-curdling scream.

Her screams echoed throughout the room, surely leaking through to the rest of the underground lair. Loki smiled to himself, knowing that she was finally receiving the punishment that she deserved for making him feel like a fool. It had taken longer than he wanted, but he was finally satisfied.

He spent a few minutes to relish in her agony as the screams ripped from her throat, every cry becoming more hoarse than the last. Curiosity settling in, Loki turned to the old friend and asked, "What is it that she is seeing?"

He simply replied, "She is seeing and feeling the worst possible things that her mind can possibly fathom. She does not physically feel pain, but her mind has convinced her that she is in misery. This is what you requested, is it not?"

"More or less," Loki answered, pleased with the results.

Once her voice was hardly audible from screaming herself hoarse, Loki believed that he had made his point and removed his hand from her wrist, instantly breaking the bond between the three of them. Though even when he released Cassie, her symptoms did not subside. She continued to convulse and cry as if the bond had not been broken.

"Why is she still feeling the affects?" Loki asked, shocked and irritated.

For the first time that evening, the stranger's showed a single emotion of confusion. "I do not know," he answered. "This has not happened with any previous clients."

"Well, I can't have her like this forever," he snapped.

He swiftly untied her bonds and held her wrists above her head as he hovered over her, placing his lips against her ear, whispering a soothing spell. Her screaming slowly subsided, but she continued to quiver.

Loki audibly growled before he spoke. "I need her to return to her previous state of mind so that I may speak with her and know of her pain. I wish to relish in your good works. I did not want her mind to crumble."

"She has gone without proper nourishment for a length of time, correct? Perhaps that is what she requires," answered the man, clearly getting impatient with Loki's irritation.

Loki's lip curled in anger as he called out of the doorway for workers. They arrived swiftly awaiting Loki's orders. "You two are to make sure that she is properly fed, cleaned and nourished. Once you are finished, sedate her and place her in one of the bedchambers."

They wasted no time in collecting Cassie and carrying her out to follow Loki's orders.

Loki's glare turned towards the torturer. The stranger nodded his head calmly. "We are now even, Loki. Do not call on me again."

"Your services are no longer needed. I shall not seek you again. We are done here." With that said, Loki stormed out of the room down the hall towards the sound of the heavy machinery. In a short time, he reached the room he had been seeking. Upon his arrival, the workers stopped their tasks and saluted his presence.

Loki stepped towards one of the workers and demanded impatiently, "Tell me of the progress you have made."

"Everything is going according to plan, but it will take more than a week to complete your orders."

The worker's eyes widened in shock as Loki clutched his throat, lifting him from the ground. "You will do better than that," he commanded threateningly.

He dropped him without warning. Through the coughs the worker cried, "We will do better!"

Loki sneered at his pathetic cries, but was satisfied with his answer. Suddenly feeling fatigued, Loki exited the room in need of rest. On the lengthy walk to his bedchambers, Loki's thoughts drifted towards Cassie and he was suddenly very anxious. He would wait until his rest to seek her progress, but he was not a patient man. If she did not progress to a sound mind by the time he had awakened, he would rid himself of her permanently.

* * *

Heimdall could watch no more. He turned his gaze away from Loki, saddened by his actions.

"Good Heimdall, what troubles you?" asked a regal voice.

"My King, I fear that I have only remorseful news to bring you."

Odin placed his hand upon Heimdall's large shoulder and looked kindly into his eyes. "Tell me, Heimdall."

With his red eyes meeting Odin's expectant blue ones, he responded as carefully as possible. "It is Loki, my King. He is unyielding in his search for power and he is building something of large scale. I do not yet know of his plans, but he is adamant on supremacy and revenge. He has recently taken upon himself to indulge in the torture of humans, one in particular."

Odin's eyes were tired and filled with sadness. "Heimdall, I believe it may be time to take matters into my own hands."

"If I may be so bold, what is it you plan to do?"

Odin stepped to the edge of the rainbow bridge where the Bifrost once stood and looked upon the endless galaxy before him, taking a moment to reply. "I will provide Loki with what he has craved for so long… love and adoration from the humans." He turned to meet Heimdall's curious gaze. "One in particular."

* * *

Loki awoke feeling more refreshed than he had in quite some time. He stretched out his long limbs, enjoying the soft surface of his bed. For a human bed, it had sufficed.

He had not forgotten what his first task of the day would be. Gracefully climbing out of the bed, Loki stood tall, anxious to see what progress Cassie had made. With a snap of his fingers, his unkempt hair was tamed and he became fully clothed in his armor.

Ready to carry on with the day, Loki walked with a steady pace towards the spare bedchamber where Cassie was being held. He was unsure of his feelings as thoughts raced through his mind as he walked. He should be content with either state of her mind. He had planned on eventually killing her off, but he did not want it to happen so quickly and without knowing of the pain she felt from the mind anguish.

As he approached the hallway to her chambers, his thoughts were interrupted with an incredible sound. It was soothing and it seemed to lift his mood almost instantly. As he followed the sound, he soon realized what it was.

It was a human voice singing. He had recognized the tone of voice from one of the previous nights. It was Cassie, singing happily and soulfully.

He was stunned at her sudden change in character. Even more curious than before, he finally reached her door and unlocked it before forcing it open. His forehead creased in confusion as he saw her lying on the bed, contentedly singing to herself. She turned to see who had entered her room and beamed with joy as her eyes rested upon Loki.

His brow rose in disbelief as she stepped from the bed and approached him. He noticed how much healthier she looked after she had been fed and cleaned. His thoughts were interrupted as she held her arms out towards him. Too stunned to react, he allowed her to wrap her arms around him in a tight embrace.

Completely at a loss for words, he stared at her dumbfounded as she released him and stared into his eyes, not a single trace of hate found in them. "I've been waiting for you to show up," she said with a smile before she leaned up towards him and placed her lips softly on his own.

* * *

**AHH! This chapter was a complete bitch to write. I spent countless hours trying to make this perfect because I had to cram so much information into one chapter. I felt like because of the wait, I had to make this chapter really worth reading.**

**I really hope that this meets a lot of people's expectations and that it was enjoyable to read. I worked really hard on it and was so touched by the amount of love I received from the previous chapter. Your inputs really made the difference and this would have gone in a complete different direction if it weren't for the reviews. I love the way it's going much better than I had planned before. Now we can finally get to the good stuff!**

**The next chapter will focus on what the Avengers have been going through since Cassie's disappearance and also more of Loki and Cassie. Thank you for giving my story a chance!**

**Please let me know what you thought of this chapter. I'm so worried about if it will be sufficient for you guys because I want to give you a good story! Even if it's a simple input such as, "I liked it!" helps more than you can imagine.**

**I am so excited to see what you thought! I promise not to make you wait long for the next chapter! I have some extra special treats lined up for the next one!**

**-LostInParadise**


	7. Author's Note! Exciting Stuff!

Okay, I'm not one who believes that Author's Notes should count as chapters and I hate it when a story is updated and I get excited only to see that it's just an Author's Note, so I sincerely apologize if any of you feel the same way and I got your hopes up. That was not my intention and I promise that a new chapter will be posted soon!

However, this Author's Note had to be done. I just had to share with the world…

I met Tom Hiddleston today.

Yes, you read that correctly. I am on cloud nine and I wanted to post this because I just cannot contain my excitement.

He was such a gentleman and one of the sweetest people I've met. He gives terrific hugs and he even laughed the infamous "Ehehehe" laugh. It was glorious.

Okay, not that I have gotten that out, I feel better!

I hope this doesn't anger anyone. The next chapter will be posted very soon, I promise! It will be worth the wait!

For some fun facts about meeting Tom Hiddleston, check out my profile!


	8. A Beautiful Lie

**Thank you again to all of you wonderful individuals who have left me reviews! I'm sorry it took me so long to update again... I was a little busy with Tom Hiddleston, haha. Really though, it was a wonderful week and he was a very, very nice person. He even remembered my name, haha! Honestly though, hearing him say my name with that accent _in person_, actually talking to me with eye contact was enough to make my legs turn to jelly. It was crazy, but so amazing.**

**Okay, enough about that. I have finally gotten the new chapter up! Let's see how our friends, The Avengers, are dealing with Cassie's absence!**

**On a random note, for some fun "Meeting Tom" facts, visit my profile!  
**

**Chapter was named after and influenced by: "A Beautiful Lie" by, 30 Seconds to Mars**

* * *

"Stark, you need to calm down," Natasha urged quietly, demonstrating one her many talents by power of persuasion. Unfortunately for her, Stark was not as easily swayed as her previous targets had been. Tony was leaning on the counter top, holding his head in his hands, and tightly gripping his hair in anger and frustration. His heavy breathing was his only response.

Bruce stepped closer to the hot-headed Tony Stark, avoiding the shards of glass spread across the floor due to Tony's fit of rage that was taken out on his own mini bar. "I know that what you're going through is difficult, but you're directing your rage in the wrong area."

"The big guy knows better than anyone, you should listen to him," chimed in Clint from the corner, leaning against the wall, crossing his arms in an almost bored posture.

Bruce fought the urge to roll his eyes. "I _do_ know what I'm talking about, Tony. You need to separate yourself from the situation, take a step back, and try to think clearly."

That made Tony snap up, his hair slightly out of place from his grip. His brown eyes darted around the room almost in a panic before they settled on Bruce. "How exactly do you expect me to remove myself from this outlandish situation, Banner?" He stepped around the bar, walking closer to the remaining Avengers, the glass loudly crunching beneath his shoes with every step. He stopped when he was mere inches from Bruce's face, leaning in closely to speak lowly, "She is my goddamn sister. I was responsible for her and I failed to protect her. How can I step away from that?"

"Mr. Stark, with all due respect, she is an adult. You are not her bodyguard and you are not responsible for what happens to her." Tony's head whipped around so fast it was almost unnatural, his glare now falling on the man dressed in dark shades of blue and red, standing on the far left of the room with a somber look on his face.

"Tell me Rogers," Tony nearly spat. "Who have you had to look after? You are responsible for no one but yourself. Everyone you knew or cared for has passed on. You have absolutely no authority to assume where my responsibilities lie with my sister."

Steve's jaw tightened at Tony's harsh words. His thoughts immediately went to the last World War he took part in. He remembered the look in his friend's eyes as they widened with fear as he plummeted from the train into the dark, snowy ravine. He had failed to protect his man. He knew all too well what Stark was feeling, but he had learned to cope with the loss by convincing himself that it was out of his control and no one was to blame.

"I think what we're all getting at is that instead of standing around hanging our heads in shame at this loss, we should come up with a plan and execute it. In order to do that, we need clear heads so that we can think reasonably," the soldier spoke with patience.

"What exactly are you insinuating?" Clint asked, still in his cross-armed stance. "A rescue mission? Because the last time I checked, no one had any idea of Loki's whereabouts and we there's nothing that we have that will lead us to him. We have absolutely nothing to go on."

"That's not exactly true," spoke Natasha, interrupting Clint's rant. "We have _him_," she said as she pointed towards Thor who had remained silent by the doorway.

Everyone's attention turned towards Thor who had been waiting silently by the door, gazing out of the window lost in his thoughts over the situation they had found themselves to be in. Turning his gaze towards Natasha, he asked, "Me?"

"Yes, you," she answered. "You know Loki better than any of us. You know his characteristics and behaviors. Where is somewhere that he would go as a last resort?"

Thor's face was somber and he carried a sad, defeated expression his face, which was not one he carried often. "You forget that I have been estranged from Loki for quite some time. He attempted to end my life several times. The ties that bind us have been broken and I may not know him as well as I once thought. I may not be of any help."

"It's worth a shot," The Captain spoke sternly, nodding to Thor for him to continue.

Thor lifted his fisted hand to his chin, a motion he did when he was deep in thought. He searched through his thoughts and spoke them aloud. "Loki is no fool, but he is a creature of habit. He will seek a place that is remote and not easily accessible."

Clint chuckled quietly in the corner. "Well, that's specific." His laughing was instantly silenced when he caught a glimpse of Tony's glare. "Anything else?" he asked, hoping to avert Tony's attention away from him.

Thor continued as if he was uninterrupted. "Loki does not take well to defeat. He will return with a vengeance, which is perhaps why he has taken Cassie. He may have plans for her, or it may have just been a ruse to disorient S.H.I.E.L.D. Regardless, I know that he is planning revenge, not only on me, but the rest of you as well." He paused as he gazed out of the window again. "I do not have Heimdall's sight, and I cannot return home without Loki, and even if I did there would be no way for me to return. However, there may be a way to contact Heimdall and he may lend us his sight so that we may find my brother. Until then, all we can do is wait and you must search for any abnormal occurrences throughout your planet."

Bruce sighed, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes in frustration. "That's easier said than done," he said tiredly. "This is a large planet."

"This is true," Thor continued. "But knowing Loki he will make an appearance and it will be drastic. He enjoys toying with other beings and he will grow restless if he is kept hidden for too long. He craves attention and it will not take him long to draw you to him, whether that is his intention or not."

"So basically your solution is to sit back and wait?" Stark accused angrily.

Thor nodded. "For now, that is all that can be done."

"That's bullshit!" Stark shouted, completely losing his temper. "I refuse to sit here and wait around for a sign that we may or may not catch! Are you aware that my sister could be dead by now?"

Fully turning his concentration towards Tony, Thor answered, "It is a possibility, though highly unlikely."

"I will _not_ stand by and do nothing," Tony seethed. "I will find her."

Slowly, Thor walked over to Tony and placed one of his large hands on Stark's shoulder in a reassuring way. "My friend, your mind is sheathed in anger. I am aware of your need to find your sister, but do you even know where to begin?"

"That's not the point –"

"That _is_ the point," interrupted Thor. "I urge you to just allow us a day or two to sort this out."

Tony's jaw clenched with impatience. "It's been days already."

"I know," said Thor dejectedly. "But please, just a bit more time."

Tony threw Thor's hand from his shoulder, even more heated than before. "Am I the only one who's first concern is Cassie?" His almost hysterical concentration turned towards the sullen man sitting on the couch who had neglected to contribute to hardly any conversation since Cassie's abduction. "Logan, are you just going to sit there and not say a damn word? Don't you care?"

Logan's face was emotionless. He sat hunched over with one of his elbows resting on his leg and the other petting the rottweiler, Ozzy. He was staring ahead into nothing, barely comprehending what the others were saying, too busy reliving the last time he saw Cassie; the way she looked in the hallway before she departed to her room where he thought she'd be safe. He knew that when she said she had gone to see Loki that it wasn't going to end well, but Loki was locked away and could do no damage… or so he thought. He should have walked her to her room and stayed there, work be damned. He was the last to see her before she was taken and he should have been there to do something about it. As much as Tony was blaming himself, it wasn't Tony's fault. It was his.

Loki took her because of his remarks on how the god should be punished. This was retribution for his attitude. His fists clenched in rage as he pictured the arrogant smirk on the god's face, knowing he won his prize. Logan was not going to let him hurt the woman he loved. He would get her back at any cost.

"Logan?" Bruce asked gently, waking Logan from his trance.

Logan glanced at the others, an obvious fury shining in his eyes his fire. "We go after her. Now."

* * *

Coming to his senses, Loki aggressively pushed her off of him, causing Cassie to stumble backwards though she manages to catch herself from falling. He notices that she looks truly hurt and confused.

"What's the matter with you? What happened today?" she asked, the pain evident in her voice.

His eyes widened in surprise. What had happened to her? Could it have been the torture? Had he broken her mind? So many more questions raced through his mind as the silver-tongued god found himself at a loss for words.

She waited patiently for an answer, her bold green eyes searching his mystified emerald ones. "Your mind is not your own," he finally decided.

A familiar expression of annoyance graced Cassie's face and she stepped closer to him. "You're just overly tired, Loki. I've told you that you need to take a break. Are you hungry? I can make you something quickly."

He turned his gaze from her, and mumbled out loud, "The torture must have had long term affects." His fists clenched in anger as he continued to talk to himself. "This was not my intention. You were supposed to remain the same."

"Stop mumbling Loki, I can't hear you," she spoke with confidence, clearly puzzled by his behavior. She continued to edge towards him carefully until she was directly in front of him, close enough to feel his breath on her face. She placed her hands around his muscular upper arms and squeezed tightly with reassurance. "You really need to relax. There's no need to get so easily stressed," she said softly as she placed a small kiss on his lips.

Stunned that he once again allowed her to kiss him, his mind began to race even more so than before. This was not possible. The torture would have left her broken and incoherent. It would not have changed her entire personality into one of a lovesick being. That was when a thought occurred to him. Of course! How did he not see this before? It was a game. She was toying with him in hopes of finding a way to escape. She had been perfectly fine and now she was going to try to convince him that her mind had gone blank and had been replaced with loving thoughts for him. What a clever girl!

He grinned with satisfaction as he put the pieces together in his head and finally allowed his eyes to lock onto hers. He would play her game… and he would win.

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**I know this was a short chapter, and I'm so sorry about that, but I have a reason! I wrote an incredibly long chapter and it would not have made sense if I just threw it all into one chapter, so I had to find a good breaking point. The next chapter will be much long and it will have some Loki/Cassie goodness that I know a lot of people have been waiting for.**

**The next chapter is already completed and will be up in a couple of days, I promise! It's going to be so good! I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone's reaction from this chapter. You've all been so wonderful with your continuous support. I love you guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Also, on a random note, I was going to put a fun interacting link on here that would allow you to listen to Cassie's singing as I mentioned in the last chapter, but I didn't really think it contributed to the story so I left it out. What do you guys think? Would you like me to put random, fun interactive things like that throughout the rest of the story? I have loads of ideas. Thoughts?**

**-LostInParadise xo**

**Also, I'd like to take a minute to thank my reviewers who I was not permitted to message personally.**

**Alexa rotta**: Thank you so much! Yes, his voice really is amazing, especially in person. It's very soothing and very British, haha. I'm excited for Thor 2 as well! I doubt he reads fan fiction, but you never know!

**deideitk:** I'm so glad to hear that you're enjoying the story! Haha yes, I met him in Detroit, MI where he was filming for a movie. I feel very, very lucky and very blessed.


	9. Everybody's Fool

**I am so, so sorry for the delay. Life is crazy, that's really the only excuse I have. I am sure none of you are interested in my life and the madness that ensues throughout it, so I will just shut up and let you get to what may be the best chapter yet.**

**The chapter was inspired by "Everybody's Fool" by Evanescence.**

**Enjoy!**

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He slowly placed his hand on the back of her head to aggressively take a handful of her long, dark brown hair and force her lips to his. She whimpered in pain at first, but as the kiss deepened, her whimpers turned into small moans of passion. Their lips moved in a synchronized motion as Loki slid his tongue along her bottom lip, silently demanding an entrance. He chuckled into her mouth as she quickly opened up to him and allowed him to explore her mouth with his hot, moist muscle.

He was slightly taken aback when she fought back against him for dominance, her hands reaching behind his neck and pulling herself even closer to him. Still not feeling close enough, she jumped onto him, causing him to stumble back in surprise, to release her hair and place a hand on each of her legs, hiking her upwards so that she was now level with him while her feet no longer touched the floor.

Refusing to lose, Loki carried Cassie to the bed that she had been lying on when he walked in. He roughly threw her onto the bed, hardly giving her time to catch her breath as she landed with an "oof" before he was on top of her again, his lips capturing hers in a fight for dominance.

A moment later, she turned her head to the side to steal a few breaths of air. Loki moved his lips down her jaw to her neck and sucked lightly, eliciting quiet whimpers from her as she trembled beneath him.

"Loki," she finally managed to speak. He ignored her and continued to kiss and lick the soft skin tissue of her neck. Fighting to keep coherent, she complained, "Your armor is too heavy."

This made Loki stop. He was winning and she knew it. Her odd statement was a request for him to remove his protection and leave himself more vulnerable to her. Though she was a mere mortal, too weak to hurt him even with his armor removed, he was skeptical as to why she did not come to that conclusion herself.

He smiled deviously at her before his body began to emit a golden glow with bright rays forming around his armor before it faded away, revealing his slender form in a dark green robe along with black trousers. Cassie sighed with relief as the extra weight lifted off of her and she gave him a thankful smile in return.

"Is this better?" he asked, staring down at her, now even more alert than before. He was waiting for her to make her move and when she did, he would be ready for it.

"Much better," she answered, grinning.

"Good." Loki did not waste any time in capturing both of her hands into one of his as he held them in a tight grip above her head as he leaned towards her and continued to kiss her as he had before. He used his other hand to begin to explore her body, knowing too soon that she would break. She arched her back, pressing her chest against his. He stilled for a moment, shocked that this was actually earning a slight reaction from him, causing a small bulge forming in his trousers. This would not do. He had to break her quicker than he had planned.

His hand made its way to her jeans and he quickly succeeded in unbuttoning them and slowly pulling down the zipper. These Midgardian clothes were foreign to him, but he knew how to work them. He hiked her pants down just slightly, giving himself enough room to give his large hands entrance to her most private of areas. He knew that she would never allow him to touch her there.

He cautiously edged his hand into her pants towards her area and waited. This earned a moan of desire from her, which caused him to halt completely. He removed his lips and hands from her and climbed off of her with a look of bewilderment on his face.

"Loki?" Cassie asked breathlessly as she looked him over. "What's wrong?"

His teeth clenched, feeling defeated from the game. "Did you really think that this would work?" he seethed.

"What are you talking about?" she asked as she sat forward on the bed, buttoning her pants, figuring that their moment of intimacy was over with.

He turned to stare daggers at her, his cold stare turning her blood to ice. "Did you really believe that I would stoop so low as to take a repulsive mortal into my bed? Your plan was poorly executed. You are a fool to think that you could deceit the god of lies!" He had risen from the bed, his armor had returned to his body and he was shaking with rage.

She gaped at him, unsure of what to say. "I don't understand what you're saying, Loki. Are you implying that you're disgusted that I'm a mortal?" She started getting angry herself now. "Maybe you should have thought of that a long time ago before you convinced me to live with you! My mortality never stopped you before, so why is it such a problem now?"

His brows came together in annoyance and perplexity. "You cannot possibly think that I would fall for your far-fetched tale of ignorance!"

She stood up from the bed, not a single trace of fear evident in her face and walked closer to him, her eyes blazing. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about, and I don't know what you're trying to do, but whatever game you're playing, you need to stop, because I don't find it funny and I will not play along with it. How dare you," she spat, causing his eyes to widen. "After what we've been through, that's how you decide to speak to me? You've got a lot of nerve, Loki."

She had left him speechless. Did she realize to whom she was speaking to? How could she not understand that he has had people executed for the way she had just spoken to him? A thought then crossed his mind as he searched her eyes for a hint of a lie, but he could find none. She had somehow formed an alternate reality, one in which they were coupled and dwelled together for what seemed to her to be a long length of time.

He relaxed his shoulders a bit and released much of his anger in a long sigh, but remained cautious. "Humor me, Cassie. What do you remember about last night?"

She crossed her arms in annoyance at his request. He fought the urge to smirk at her childish stance. "Nothing out of the ordinary," she answered. "You said that you had business to take care of and you left. I made some food, got some hot chocolate and read my book by the fire until I got too tired. I'm not really sure how I fell asleep in here instead of our room. I guess I must have been too tired to go all the way to our room. You know this place is a maze of madness, I can hardly find my way around."

He was baffled. Her memory was completely skewed from reality. She truly believed that is how last night's events occurred. He hardly noticed her hand take hold of his own. The foreign feeling of a hand in his caused him to jerk back a bit, but he did not break the contact.

"Loki, clearly you've been working too hard. You're delirious and it's probably from lack of food. When was the last time you ate anything?"

"I'm not sure," he quickly answered, not really considering her question for he was lost in his own thoughts.

"That's what I figured," she stated. "Come with me, I'll make you something."

Still leading him by the hand, he allowed her to walk out of the room and take him to the kitchen. He was fascinated by the fact that she actually knew exactly where to go considering in reality she had never been anywhere except for her cell and the torture room.

Cassie urged him to sit on the chair by the makeshift table. The kitchen area was not extravagant, but it had the essentials such as a stove, a refrigerator, a sink, and cupboards to store food. It had been used by it's previous owners who had used the caverns as an underground training facility for the army, which had been abandoned for quite some time, but Loki had found it easy to restore to a livable environment.

Loki eyed Cassie carefully, bemused as she searched through the cupboards for ingredients for whatever she planned on cooking. She eventually settled on what she called, "chili" and began to cut vegetables that she had found. As she cut delicately, she glanced up to see Loki still staring at her, fascinated. "You've lost a lot of weight these past few weeks and I know it's because you're not eating. I don't like it," she simply stated.

His brows lifted and furrowed together in a mix of perplexity and insult, though he was not angered. It was true, he no longer had the delicacies of the consistent feasts day after day in Asgard, but he had hardly noticed his hunger.

Still adamant for answers, he cleared his head of the distracting thoughts and focused on Cassie. "I'm intrigued by your actions. Tell me, Cassie, what do you recall about these past few months?"

She stops cutting and locks her eyes with his. "What has gotten into you? Why are you suddenly interested in what I remember about our time together?"

"I suppose I am curious about how you see our relationship through your eyes," he half-lied quickly.

She continued cutting then with more force and speed, displaying her annoyance. "If I tell you, will you eat? I don't mean two bites, I mean the entire bowl?"

Fighting the urge to grimace, he replied, "You have my word."

A slight smile graced her lips as her eyes met his again. "Alright then. Well, when we met in New York, I had no idea that the man that eyed me from across the street would be the guy I would spend the rest of my life with."

Though he truly did not know what she was speaking of, he nodded his head in agreement and urged her to continue.

"You were just really charming," she spoke as she looked past him in a daze, moving the chopped vegetables into a bowl to mix them. "You were walking on the opposite side of the street and I looked over at you and when you threw me that smile, I knew you were trouble."

Loki struggled to keep his face emotionless. What a pathetic dream she had conjured for her own self. He would never look twice at a mortal, let alone smile at one.

"I thought that was the last time I would see you, but then you just kept popping up everywhere I went and eventually you came to talk to me. You hardly finished your first sentence before you made my heart jump, though, to my credit, I put on a pretty good show of not caring; but you saw right through that," she laughed as she started cooking the ground beef for the chili. "We had dinner a few times and before I knew it, I was a bit smitten with you. Things went pretty well until that whole big fight happened, but I try to forget that."

Prodding further, Loki demanded, "No, tell me about the fight."

"Loki, you know I don't like talking about it."

"Yes, I know," he lied, "but this is urgent. Tell me." She gave him a stubborn look and he refrained from grabbing her by the throat and ripping it out of her, instead grinding his teeth together and barely audibly added, "Please."

She sighed in defeat and nodded her head. "My brother's tower was almost done with construction and you kept asking about it and you always wanted to go inside, even before it was finished. I couldn't understand your obsession with it and then one day I called you out on it and you got so angry with me. I had never seen you like that. To put it simply, I saw a completely different side to you and I wasn't sure that we could continue to be together after that. But somehow you won me back and you convinced me to move in with you and that's how we ended up here."

So even in her false memory he had been interested in Stark Tower. He found that to be quite ironic. "And what of our… careers?" Loki asked, searching for the Migardian term.

"Careers?" she asked skeptically. "You mean my career of looking after this god-forsaken place while you travel the world with your godly powers?" She finished with a laugh.

"You are aware that I am a god? Have you surrendered your practice as a healer?"

She laughed a loud, boisterous laugh, almost causing her to drop the vegetables while she was placing them in a large pot on the stove. "You are so funny today. It's like your memory's been erased," she joked. Loki fought the urge to roll his eyes, quickly growing impatient. She felt the tension and answered, "I gave up the practice when you and I decided to live here in the boonies. I treat some of your workers when they get work-related injuries, but other than that, they're my only patients. Yes Loki, I know you're a god. You made that quite clear during our relationship."

Ignoring her last statement, he asked, "Do you speak with your brother often?"

She stopped stirring the ground beef in the pan and met his eyes; her own instantly filled with sadness. "You know that I don't, Loki. Our relationship was damaged when he found out about you and I. He was not thrilled and despite trying to convince him of your decent side, he never accepted us, so we hardly speak."

Amused by their imaginary fall-out, Loki was intrigued. "What do you know of my… family?" he sneered at the loose use of the word, bitter on his tongue.

"Well," she began, "I know that they are a topic that you tend not to discuss. I can't really say anything more than that considering I have never met any of them."

She was delirious. Her story was so far-fetched and not at all believable. There was only one way for him to truly believe if she had been lying. Being the god of lies, he could sense one much more easily than others.

Loki lifted himself from the chair and walked calmly to Cassie. He grabbed her by the arms roughly and turned her towards him, earning a look of pain and surprise from her. He leaned in towards her, mere inches from her face and stared deeply into her eyes.

Cassie was confused, but stayed completely still, frozen under his intense gaze.

Loki took a moment to memorize every characteristic in her blazing green orbs before quietly asking, "Do you love me?"

Her bewildered expression instantly turned into one of relief and happiness as she smiled. Her eyes suddenly filled with such love and admiration that it almost physically hurt him, causing him to stumble back a few steps as if he had been hit hard in the gut. She grabbed him by his leather collar and brought him towards her as she softly placed her lips on his unmoving cold ones.

As if she didn't notice his lack of response, Cassie deepened the kiss, showing him just how much she loved him through this simple gesture. Loki's defensive shields started to crumble until he completely lost himself in the thought of her mouth on his and her hands reaching up to his neck to stroke the hair that fell over his collar.

He wrapped his arms around her, drawing her closer to him as he deeply inhaled, enthralled by her scent. It was as if he couldn't get enough of her in that moment. He wanted to continue holding her until they simply became one person.

As his mouth hungrily devoured hers, his head was screaming at him. He was kissing a mortal, a disgusting, pathetic, and worthless excuse for a life. A creature that had he been successful in his attempt to enslave the Earth would have been dead the moment she insulted him for the first time. He may have even killed her simply for the fact that she was the sibling of his hated rival, Iron Man.

Upon these thoughts entering his mind, his lips froze in place causing Cassie to notice his hesitation and pull back. Loki cursed himself for the moment their lips separated he wanted to draw her back to him. He craved her, and he loathed himself for it.

"Loki?" she asked, noticing his far away gaze as he fought with himself over his feelings.

Struggling to find words Loki mumbled quietly as he pushed her away gently, "I am required to rectify certain inequities. I must take my leave for the time being."

She gave him a skeptical look, but understood. "Alright, but don't take long, okay? This food will be done and you promised me you would eat. I'll be here when you get back," she finished with a wink.

He smirked in response and allowed her to return to her cooking as he exited. Once out of the kitchen, he approached two of the guards outside of the room and demanded that they keep watch over her, but allow her free reign while he is gone, so long as she stays out of the work area. They quickly nodded and saluted as Loki left for the work area to check on the progress they were making.

Loki tried to push away the thoughts of the morning's occurrences as he reached the large cavern where the building was taking place. Once he reached the construction area, his presence was declared by the workers bowing in respect for a brief moment before continuing their work.

His eyes searched around the room. They seemed to have made a large amount of progress, even just overnight. The same worker from the previous night approached him cautiously and spoke, "Sir, we are moving at a tremendous pace. It will be completed sooner than expected."

Loki simply nodded, please with the outcome of his previous threats. "Sir, we have a test subject if you would like to see the progress that has been made."

"Very well, then," Loki agreed. "Where is it?"

Signaling towards the other end of the cavern, the worker brought Loki to a large platform where a frightened, beaten man stood, chained to the floor. Loki sneered at the weak, pathetic man, disgusted with the fragile state of humans.

The worker then handed Loki a small handheld device. "What is the purpose of this?" Loki asked the worker.

"It emits a frequency to the brain," the worker explained. "If you point this at him, when you press the button, he will feel the frequency and be obligated to obey."

Loki smiled with anticipation before pointing the device at the anxious looking man, stepping closer to him onto the platform. "Pledge yourself to me," Loki demanded.

The man swallowed hard and shook his head, refusing Loki's demand. Loki pressed the button and the man quickly covered his ears as he kneeled in pain and hoarsely screamed. "I said, pledge yourself to me!" Loki shouted.

The man fell to the ground, blood trickling from his ears as he continued to scream. "The pain will end, weak one, just as soon as you pledge yourself to me. You must say, 'I offer myself to you, Loki, my King.'" The screaming man shakes his head in agreement, trembling in pain. Loki finally releases his press on the device, ceasing the harmful frequency.

Loki stepped back to give the man room to stand on his own. Once he did so, he stared at Loki, fear evident in his expression. "Well?" Loki asked with a demanding tone.

The man willingly kneeled and quietly spoke, "I offer myself to you, Loki, my King. I pledge myself to you."

A content smile emerged on Loki's face. He turned towards the worker, placing the device in his hands. "You may continue with your work. Be diligent," he commanded as he turned to exit the cavern, delighted with the outcome of test.

The smile slowly turned into a smirk as he continued to stride to the kitchen as he reminisced over the day's events. Thus far, it has been a decent day. A certain thought occurred to Loki as he walked. Revenge. Revenge so sweet, it filled him with a glee that he had not felt in a long time.

Cassie had truly become enamored with him; that much was evident. He would play along with this turn of events and make her believe that he loved her in return. She was already estranged from her brother in her own mind. She knew nothing of the Avengers, and Loki was sure that they would go to any length to return her in one piece. In the end, whom would she choose between the love of her life, or her harsh brother? He new the answer, and he longed to see the broken face of Iron Man. It was almost too easy, but it was too delightful to pass up such an opportunity.

A memory snaked into his mind at that moment. He had so easily lost his composure twice while they were intertwined with each other. It was wrong that it happened once, but for him to let it happen again the second time was inexcusable. He did not know how it happened so easily. He hated humans, and she was no exception. He had to keep his emotions on a tighter grip. He could not allow himself to slip like that again. He had to learn to play her mortal emotions, without corrupting his own. He thought himself talented in that area. He knew not what it was about her that made him so easily fall short of his manipulating talents and it bothered him… and intrigued him at the same time.

Coming to terms with what he must do, he stopped short of the kitchen at the sound of loud laughter. He slowly opens the door to the dining area and was furious at the sight before him.

There at the table sat Cassie and the two guards he commanded to look after her, merrily playing with what Loki had known to be cards, a Midgardian pastime.

At the sound of someone entering the room, the three looked up from their game. Cassie greeted Loki with a warm smile and began to stand, but upon seeing his face, the smile was wiped from her face and she sat back down in her chair.

The two guards jumped to their feet, meeting the cold, bitter stare of Loki. "Sir," they both greeted.

Loki's lip curled at their greeting. "Having fun?" he asked acidly.

At a loss for words, the guards simply stared back at him, physically shaking with fear. Loki took a step closer to them before breaking the silence. "You are not doing your jobs as I so commanded of you. There is no room for any _fun_ here. You will be punished accordingly."

The guards had no response, so Cassie took it upon herself to respond. "Loki," she said as she finally stood up from her chair. "We were having a really nice time until you had to come in here with your deathly vibes and ruin everything."

His heated stare became unbearably hot at he focused on her. "You will hold your tongue in my presence."

She stepped around the table so that she was just a few feet from him. "I will not," she simply answered.

"Very well then," Loki continued, surprising Cassie and the guards. "You will assist me in determining their punishment." Upon Cassie's look of confusion, he continued. "One of them shall be put to death. It is up to you to decide which of them lives, and which of them dies. Take your pick and make haste, Cassie. Patience is not one of my qualities."

Cassie's jaw dropped at his request and she became instantly infuriated. "You've got to be joking!" she shouted. His face remained emotionless as she continued, not giving him a moment to answer her. "I refuse! How could you give me an ultimatum such as that? How could you possibly be so cruel? What have these men done that requires a punishment such as death? Absolutely nothing! Your spite has gotten the better of you, Loki, and I will _not_ be a part of it."

His face resembled that of a stone as he stepped closer until he was directly in front of her, towering over her average form, his height making him even more threatening. As he gazed down upon her, he fought the urge to smile. Her mind may have been tampered with, replacing her memories with false ones, but she was clearly still Cassie. She was the same Cassie that he had become interested in before she had insulted him and sent him into an infinite rage. She was still stubborn, and foolish enough to refuse his demands. Though her disobedience irked him, it also pleased him. However, her stubbornness would not deter him from making his dominance known.

"I need not answer your questions. I am in charge and everyone here is to obey me without question. They had a job and they allowed themselves to fall prey to your antics. They will learn how unacceptable it is to slack in their position as guards. You will help me teach that lesson."

"Like hell I will!" she shouted. "Loki, you are acting like a god damned child!"

Not a moment later, Cassie felt herself being crushed painfully into the wall behind her, Loki gripping her arms painfully tight. "Leave," he angrily demanded of the guards. They wasted no time in exiting the room, leaving Loki alone with Cassie.

Refusing to wince in pain, Cassie met Loki's challenging stare with a blazing one of her own. He was breathing heavily in anger, unable to tear his emerald eyes away from hers. Before he could comprehend his own actions, his mouth was on hers, hungrily devouring her.

Instead of refusing him as he had expected, she responded positively and moaned into his mouth as he plunged his tongue into her lips, tasting her, reveling in her delicious sweet flavor.

Hungry for more, she grabbed the collar of his leather armor and pushed him back. Due to his complete loss of coherent thoughts in the kiss, he was able to stumble back a few steps, baffled by her sudden refusal. He soon realized her intentions as he saw the lust in her eyes and smirked at her obvious arousal. She stepped forward, and continued to push him lightly, guiding him until he reached the counter of the kitchen. She then took it upon herself to jump onto him, gripping his hips tightly with her legs as he wrapped his arms around her lower half, cradling her bottom in his hands as he held her steady. She tangled her hands in his hair and forced his mouth to hers, almost angrily.

As her lithe body writhed against him, he felt the urge to explore more of her. He turned around and placed Cassie on the counter, leaving his hands free to roam her body as they continued to kiss lustfully.

His thoughts began to flash like static in his mind. He was repulsed, yet aroused, and his arousal was clearly overpowering his disgust. Loki wondered to himself how long it had been since he had bedded a woman. He had never taken a mortal into his bed, but if he were to choose a mortal to lay with, he could think of no better one than Cassie. Whether or not he desired to bed her for revenge, or for his own personal needs, he did not know, but he did not stop to consider it either.

Without breaking the kiss, Loki lifted her effortlessly into his arms and swiftly carried her through the caverns into his bed chambers. He gently laid her on the bed, immediately missing the contact with her skin. Still standing, he could do nothing but stare at her, dumbfounded as to what he should do next. He silently cursed himself as she watched him with an intense gaze. He was not a shy man. With women he had laid with before, he had no problems shedding his clothing and having his way with them, but he was unable to do so with Cassie.

He licked his lips in frustration as he fought with himself as to what his next actions should be. He did not expect Cassie to be impatient and was taken by surprise as she raised from her laying position into a kneeling posture and began to remove her shirt. Loki forced his eyes to remain steady and his facial expression even as her eyes never left his with every piece of clothing she removed.

When the only clothing that remained were her delicates, she raised one finger and seductively urged him forward, biting her lip in anticipation. Forgetting his incessant need for dominance, Loki stepped forward slowly until he was kneeling on the bed. Agonizingly slowly, she began to remove his heavy leather and metal armor from his slender, yet muscular form.

Becoming impatient, Loki began to help her with the removing of his clothes until all that was covered was his own private area. Instead of attempting to remove it, Cassie glances upward into Loki's intense gaze. Even while they were kneeling he towered over her. She lifted her hand to lightly stroke his cheek before placing both hands in his hair to draw him towards her so she could kiss him lovingly.

Loki began to push himself into her, causing her to lie down on her back while he hovered over her, anxious for more of her. When the kiss broke, she leaned into Loki, causing him to roll over and lie down facing upwards. Cassie turned on her side, propping her head with one hand and caressing Loki's long hair with the other.

For the first time in a very long while, Loki was at a loss on what to do. He could not think of anything else but her. She had enveloped his mind and captured his desires. He would curse himself tomorrow for letting himself fall into her this way, but for the moment, he savored the feeling.

As she stroked his hair he took it upon himself to explore her Midgardian body. His rough fingers traced her cheek, jaw, and neck. As he moved down over the swell of her breast onto her lace-covered hips, Loki could not help but ask, "Cassie, what caused you to become so enamored with me?"

She smiled her genuine smile and replied, "I thought it was because that you were such a charmer." He smirked at her answer. "But then, I realized that I love you, not because you're charming, but because I am one of the few who actually sees you, Loki."

Upon his stunned silence, she leaned slowly towards him to place a soft, tender kiss on his lips before she lay her head on his chest, wrapping her arms around his abdomen, quickly drifting off to sleep.

Silvertongue was at a loss for words. Not knowing what else to do, he absentmindedly allowed his arms to wrap around her sleeping form. He had not had close contact such as that in far too long, and it satisfied him.

Fighting away the questions and maddening thoughts, Loki allowed himself to fall asleep, feeling more content than he had in his existence.

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**This chapter was so difficult to write. I rewrote it several times, and finally just allowed it to be what it is and decided to give it to you wonderful people. It is 3:00am, so I have not read it over as of yet, so please excuse spelling/grammar errors.**

**Let me know what you think! I have so much more Cassie/Loki goodness planned!**

**And don't worry, we are going to see much more of Cassie's fighting side and Loki's evil side ;)**

**Reviews are inspiration! Nom nom nom.**

**To all of the Guests who reviewed my story, THANK YOU so much! To the Guest who starts classes on the 13th, I worked my butt off so you could have this chapter before your classes started. I hope I did not disappoint!  
**

**Really though, thank you to all of my reviewers. You're all so amazing and I am so grateful and humbled by your kind words. Thank you!  
**

**-LostInParadise xo**


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